SHAPING THE FUTURE ALBANIAN NATIONAL MARITIME SECURITY STRATEGY

Shaping the future Albanian National Maritime Security Strategy

NATIONAL CENTER FOR SECURITY AND DEFENCE (NCSD) Page 2 of 14

Research Paper

National Center for Security and Defence (NCSD)

SHAPING THE FUTURE ALBANIAN NATIONAL

MARITIME SECURITY STRATEGY

(Second edition1)

Captain (Navy - R) Artur Meçollari2 Assistant Suard Alizoti3

Tirana, 2014

1 First edition of this article is published by 1) Symposium: “Sistemi detar shqiptar dhe pervoja europiane”. Universitety “Ismail Qemali, Vlore. 14-15 May 2010. ISBN 9781609850012 (Albanian); 2) Magazine “Marrëdhënie Ndërkombëtare”, Tirana, Winter 2011 (Albanian); 3) “Revista Marittime”, Italian Navy, Roma, August 2011 (Italian); 4) Magazine “Revista Ushtarake”, TRADOC, Tirana, March 2012 (Albanian) and 5) Magazine “Revista Ushtarake”, TRADOC, Tirana, June 2012 (English). 2 Captain (R) (NAVY) Artur Meçollari has served for 23 years in Albanian Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania. His has served as a Deputy Commandant of Albanian NAVY. 3 Mr. Suard Alizoti is a Professor at “Ismail Qemali” University, Vlora.



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Copyright © 2013 by the National Center for Security and Defence Studies (NCSD) of the Ministry of Defence.

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ABSTRACT

Albania is a maritime nation with regional interests. Albania has a strategic maritime position linked with the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, the Strait of Otranto, and the Central Mediterranean Sea4. The Albanian geographical position is a factor, historically recognized by others, but not clearly emphasized or sometimes ignored by Albanian policy makers.

Wars in Albanian territory among regional powers or against it have been frequently connected to its maritime position: to gain maritime accessibility or by using it. After collapse of Berlin Wall in late 80’ and positive developments on global equation of the powers balance, the role of Albanian factor in the region have been sensibly improved, fact that needs to be more emphasized, especially through use of its national maritime strength.

A new Albanian National Security Strategy (NSS) must take into account the most consolidated national factors; Albanian population and maritime position. A National Maritime Security Strategy (NMSS), as integrated part of NSS of the Republic of Albania, is a need to optimize the use of Albanian maritime factors. Re-dimensioning of the maritime factors of Albania requires also a new NSS with more ambitious objectives toward its more active role on regional security environment, especially on maritime security.

4 Global Security Forum - http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/al-navy.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/al-navy.htm



INTRODUCTION

he Sea has been and will be important for the economic progress and prosperity of Albania and Albanians. National maritime space of Albania and this with sovereign rights is about 40% of its land territory size5 and the majority of Albanian population

lives close to the sea. Maritime and seabed resources, together with capitals moving through the sea, represent a great wealth of national value.

Political changes occurred in Albania, former Yugoslavia and the other Balkan countries in late 90’, followed by liberation and independence of Kosovo, have dramatically changed the regional security. The current Albanian NSS, approved in 20046, has justified defining its objectives through facing the regional security environment, rather than engaging it.

Starting from 2004, there have been significant changes in Western Balkan; Montenegro got independence in 20067, Kosovo in February 20088, and Albania became a NATO member in 20099. In the new Western Balkan reality, a new cooperative, ambitious and engagement Albanian NSS to the regional security is required. Population and maritime factors must shape the new Albanian national security objectives.

THE NEED FOR A NATIONAL MARITIME SECURITY STRATEGY

The changes and what is expected to be changed in regional security environment must be reflected with a review of the Albanian NSS objectives. Final establishment of the Balkan borders and the new expected security equation driven by the common NATO and EU aspirations is turning gradually the Western Balkan into a security provider. The lock-landed Albanian neighboring states, such as Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo, in the new promising economic security environment, will progressively try to increase their accessibility to maritime trade, as long as it remains the less expensive one. The US Maritime Administration estimates that global maritime trade, travel, and commerce will double in the next twenty years10.

Any strategy is based on the appropriate use of its own and competitor’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Combination of use of your strengths and protection of your vulnerabilities, by means of not allowing you competitors to do the same, increases your own strengths. Regionalizing and re-nationalizing the Albanian maritime space will optimize the use of Albanian maritime factor in regional security environment contest.

5 Meçollari, Artur.“ UNCLOS 1982 and Albanian baseline”. Published by Albanian National Centre for Security and Defense. Tirana. March 2014. P. 87-88. “Albanian national maritime space is about 6098.4 km2, from which 1315.3 km2 internal sea and 4783.2 km2 territorial seal. Maritime space above continental shelf and EEZ is about 5144.6 km2. In total Albania exercise its sovereignty and sovereign rights in about 11243.0 km2 maritime space. In this space is not included 470 km2 maritime space conflicting with Greece and Montenegro. Albanian land territory is about 28748 km2. 6 The Albanian National Security Strategy is approved by Law Nr.9322 date 25.11.2004. 7 Montenegro formally declares its independence on 3 June 2006. 8 Kosovo formally declares its independence on 17 February. 9 Albania joined NATO in April1, 2009. 10 Baer, George W. Notes toward a new maritime strategy. "Naval War College Review. Newport. RI. USA Spring 2007- http://www.usnwc.edu/Publications/Naval-War-College-Review/2007-Spring.aspx. P. 18.

T

http://www.usnwc.edu/Publications/Naval-War-College-Review/2007-Spring.aspx



The objectives of national security strategy are to secure and promote national interests. Economic development and prosperity of the nation is the end-state of any national security strategy. The nowadays geopolitical advantages must be converted into trade and economic advantages of tomorrow for the Republic of Albania. It requires a more ambitious engagement of Albania in regional security through an active cooperative security strategy and a protagonist role in regional trade.

The actual regional corridors through Balkan, east-west, north-south and vice versa, in the new geopolitical environment need to be sponsored by Albanian side. The pragmatist activation of the 8-th Corridor, as well as 10-th Corridor, will emphasize the maritime strength of Albania and its role on regional security. Economic and trade regional links reduce friction and produce additional regional security. The new role of Albania in regional trade, economic development and security needs a new dimension of its maritime domain; a regional dimension.

Exploration of maritime natural resources requires high technological standards. For the first time, continental shelf was clamed on September 28, 1945 from the US President Truman11. So far, due to technological restraints Albania hasn’t explored maritime natural resources in its seabed. The extensive economic development of Albania will also require more natural resources. That’s why the improvement of Albanian legislation has to consider this new economic dimension of its maritime space.

In this basis, a new Albanian NMSS should set up a new and favourable environment for achieving national unity of efforts toward more ambitious, well defined and achievable national maritime objectives. Development of maritime policies needs strategic view and guideline, which will drive state and not state actors toward the same objective: the optimization of employment of national capacities.

The NATO membership and the aspiration for EU membership, as two very important European security structures, require that Albania develop a reliable NMSS, as an integrated part of its NSS. The new NMSS has to show the good political willpower and appropriate national instruments for guarantying its national maritime security and cooperation with maritime neighbouring states into the Adriatic and Ionian Sea environment.

THE OBJECTIVES OF ALBANIAN NATIONAL MARITIME STRATEGY

A new NMSS, as we did mention above, have to be driven by NSS of the Republic of Albania and also must be its integrated part. It must be articulated by taking into account national maritime strength in the new regional security environment. In our point of view, the future NMSS should be articulated to achieve the following national objectives:

11 Sokrat, Plaka Dr. E drejta e re detare ndërkombëtare dhe Shqipëria. Shtëpia Botuese “Marin Barleti”, 2003. P. 123.



1. Safeguarding the territorial maritime integrity of the Republic of Albania and contributing to regional maritime security

Safeguarding the territorial maritime integrity is a vital interest for any maritime nation, as well as for the Republic of Albania12. Albanian Navy represents the most important instrument13 for safeguarding of Albanian territorial maritime integrity jointly with other services of Armed Forces14 and exercising national sovereignty together with other law enforcement agencies15.

Albanian Navy, beside its traditional constitutional mission, is the primary instrument for exercising national maritime sovereignty through its secondary mission: the Coast Guard one. Maintaining and increasing the Coast Guard capacities, it is important on the actual and future of development of Albanian maritime affairs and incoming threats in the new maritime security environment.

Protecting Albanian national interests in the new regional geopolitical equilibrium, providing security in the maritime area of interest and contribution in NATO, EU and regional initiatives, a new vision for Albanian Navy is required. Albanian Navy is the primary national cooperation instrument on maritime regional security. Albania is engaged politically in regional maritime organizations and initiatives, but participation of Albanian Navy still is a symbolic one.

From many years Albanian Navy participate in Active Endeavour operation16, Mediterranean Dialog17, Adrion initiative18 and V-RMTC (T-RMN) network19. Albanian Navy have to be capable guarantying its acting against asymmetric threats, protecting sea lines of communications, exercising national sovereignty, as well as contributing to regional maritime security. Predictable maritime security environments in Adriatic and Ionian Seas, including Central Mediterranean Sea will require a mid-term development profile of Albanian Navy with more selected naval war-fighting capabilities to operate outside its traditional national maritime area of operation.

12 Law Nr.9322 date 25.11.2004. 13 Law Nr.8417 date 21.10.2998. 14 Law Nr.9322, date 25.11.2004. 15 Law 8875 date 4.4.2002 amended by Law 9788 date 19.7.2007. 16 “Active Endeavour” Operation. NATO Operation the Mediterranean Sea Theatre to identify, deter and protect from terrorist activity. The operation was planned directly after the terrorist attacks on September 2011 in the USA. This operation was planned based on Article 5 of Atlantic Chart. Albania jointed this operation in 2007, while it still wasn’t a NATO member. Albanian Navy participate in this operation by providing logistic base capacities information exchange, usage of its ships in Albanian maritime domain, and communication officers. (noted by authors). 17 Mediterranean Dialog. Initiative leaded by NATO after Istanbul Summit of 2002. Aim of this initiative is to engage Mediterranean Sea countries in combined activities in order to face trans-regional threats. This initiative includes joint exercises for improving maritime security environment in the Mediterranean Theatre. (noted by authors). 18 ADRION initiative. This initiative includes all the navies of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea. Aim of this initiative is promotion and cooperation among regional Navies for better understanding in facing challenges of maritime security of the region. (noted by authors). 19 V-RMTC (T-RMN). V-RMTC means Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Centre, which later on changed into T-RMN, (Trans Regional Maritime Network). This networking project is introduced initially by the Italian Navy in 2005. Albanian Navy participate in the project since 2006. The project sere as a platform for exchanging information on maritime traffic in Mediterranean Sea and broader. .(noted by authors).



2. Exercising the national maritime sovereignty and sovereign rights

The exercise of Albanian sovereignty, including maritime one, is another vital interest of the Republic of Albania20, as well as a permanent challenge of its security21. Maritime threats in Albania are connected with the unlawful use of natural and historical resources, as well as used the sea as a platform for smuggling and trafficking. Terrorism, weapon of mass destruction proliferation and possibly, but less probable, maritime piracy have to be assessed as possible future threats in Albanian maritime area.

The future challenges of exercising national maritime sovereignty and sovereign rights will be linked with: increasing national law enforcement agencies operational capacities, strengthening the cooperation among law enforcement agencies, drafting a comprehensive maritime law body compatible with national interests and international law and drafting clear, harmonized and the most important well defined national maritime policies.

The exercise of national sovereignty is not the mission of a single law enforcement agency. The Albanian Maritime Code defined the authority of each agency22. All of them have difficulties in fulfilling their mission, due to lack of operational capacities. In the future, the short-term government policies have to be focused on better financing the most important maritime law enforcement agencies.

Albania is a small maritime nation with limited financial resources. One of the main approaches on guarantying the national maritime sovereignty and sovereign rights is strengthening cooperation among national law enforcement agencies and the neighbouring countries. Reduction of interagency friction and optimizing the usage of national capacities was the aim of establishing the Inter-Ministerial Maritime Operational Centre (IMOC) in January 2010.

The clash23 between the Coast Guard Law24 and the Government Decision25 on the IMOC has created a non favourable environment for the interagency cooperation. IMOC is organized based on the Government Decision which is in conflict with the Maritime Code and the Coast Guard Law. Due to the excessive authority not authorized by Coast Guard Law, IMOC could not play its role as a national inter-ministerial coordination centre, even IMOC was, and still is, a promising and original Albanian solution. A clear IMOC mission based on the Coast Guard Law and not conflicting Maritime Code Law will put it on the track and will make it more effective in law enforcement agency cooperation.

20 Law Nr.9322 date 25.11.2004. 21 Idem. 22 Low Nr. 9251 date 8.7.2004. 23 By the Law of the Coast Guard Article 3/1stats that “for conducting Coast Guard operations is established IMOC” and Article 3/3 states that “the way how the Coast Guard cooperates with the other law enforcement agencies will be regulated by government decision”. Government Decision Nr. 954 Date 30.9.2009 based in Coast Guard Law, but conflicting it simultaneously, in Article 3 states “The mission of IMOC is to plan, organize and direct maritime operations in Albanian Maritime Domain, in accordance with international and national maritime legislation. IMOC guarantees management of Albanian maritime border and interaction of institutions that have responsibilities and interests in Albanian Maritime Domain”. (noted by authors). 24 Law 8875 date 4.4.2002 amended by Law 9788 date 19.7.2007 25 Government Decision Nr. 954 Date 30.9.2009 amended by Government Decision Nr. 1125 Date 13.11.2009.



In the last ten years the number of international conventions ratified by Albania is increased, but still Albania is signatory only of a limited number of maritime conventions26, especially respecting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Conventions27. The national law needs a radical improvement, especially on the law of the maritime borders28 and achieving agreements with neighbours on maritime boundaries29. Still Albania is in the black list of IMO30, due to the inappropriate application of some IMO convention, such as The Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention31.

Gaps in interagency cooperation are also result of non-harmonized national maritime policies. An unclear articulation and well defined national maritime security objectives has driven individual agencies’ plans and policies toward facing competition among them rather than complementing each other toward the same national objectives. Overlapping on tasks interpretation and modernization programs occurred frequently among those agencies. Also, short term objectives shaped by the electoral government programs have shift the attention from interpreting long term national maritime objectives shaped by national security strategy.

3. Application of the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982)

Albania is a maritime nation with regional interests. The history of Albania, due to his geographical position, is closely linked with maritime environment. Threats coming from the sea have frequently challenged the Albanian vital interests. In certain historical timelines these threats have been crucial to the independence and territorial integrity of Albania.

In the same time, the sea has been important for the economic development of the nation and a safe security environment. The geopolitical position of Albania is purely related to its choke point position on one of the most important sea line of communication: Adriatic ad Ionian maritime highway. Local control and secure of this maritime highway is an obligation and interest of Albania, Control of the Channel is also a clash with and between medium regional maritime countries.

The uncertain legal regime in Mediterranean Sea is linked with excessive claims and interests of certain medium regional maritime powers by conflicting with other small

26 Gerveni, Rear Admiral Kristaq. The state action at sea – Albanian perspective. Symposium: Albanian Maritime System and EU experience University “Ismail Qemali, Vlore. 14-15. Aulona Press. May 2010. P 89. 27 IMO (International Maritime Organization) - http://www.imo.org/About/Conventions/StatusOfConventions 28 Law Nr. 8771 date 19.04.2001 “for the State Borders of the Republic of Albania” is abolished by the Law Nr. 9860 date 24.01.2008 ”for the control and supervision of state borders”. Since March 1, 2008 when Law Nr. 9860 date 24.01.2008 entered into force Albania doesn’t have internal and territorial sea. (noted by authors). 29 Albania does have only one agreement with Italy on delimitation of continental shelf sight by both countries on 18.12.1992 and ratified by Albanian Parliament by Law Nr. 147 date 12.04.1995 and Italian Parliament by Law Nr. 7685 date 15.03.1993. The last year agreement with Greece “on delimitation of continental shelf and other m maritime spaces, sight by two governments in Tirana on April 27, 2009, was abolished by Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania by Decision Nr. 15 Date 15.04.2010. In 1977 Albania and former Yugoslavia set up a joint commity for delimitation of territorial boundaries. The agreement couldn’t be sighed because two countries didn’t agree on methodology of delimitation. (noted by authors). 30 Paris Memorandum of Understanding website - Black List 2006–2008 http://www.parismou.org/upload/anrep/PMoU%20performance%20tables,%20explanation-%20%20bwg%20list%20.pdf 31 Ratified by Albanian Parliament with the Law Nr. 9852 date 26.12.2007.

http://www.imo.org/About/Conventions/StatusOfConventions

http://www.parismou.org/upload/anrep/PMoU%20performance%20tables,%20explanation-%20%20bwg%20list%20.pdf



regional maritime nations. The application of UNCLOS 1982 in the Albanian maritime area of interests and broader is in full compliance with its national maritime interests.

The expected economic development of Albania, as mention above, will require exploitation and exploration of natural resources within its sovereign rights maritime space. It is in the interest of Republic of Albania to put in its agenda the delimitation of its maritime boundaries with its neighbouring countries. It will legitimize the national sea space where Albania will exercise its sovereignty and sovereign rights. Due to the responsibilities of Albania by ratifying the UNCLOS 1982 and Hamburg Convention 197932, Albania should start as soon as possible negotiations with its maritime neighbouring countries on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Agreements33.

The application of UNCLOS 1982 in the Adriatic and Ionian Sea is very complex and conflicting issue. It must be consider by the Albanian authorities as a long term process. The Albanian diplomacy need to draft a clear platform with achievable objectives through the proper usage of national instruments, by taking advantages from the coming opportunities and shaping “temporary focused in objectives” regional alliances.

4. Promotion and support of the maritime economy

Sustainable economic development of the country requires the promotion and support of the new economic dimension: maritime industry. The new maritime economic trend predicts the Albanian maritime area as one of the most important gateway toward east and vice versa, as well as its increasing exploration of the maritime natural resources. Policy formulation and legislation adaption is needed for the expecting maritime economic developments.

The maritime transport has a strategic importance for the Republic of Albania. Nowadays, Albanian ports processing is not performing in the expected figures, while their total annual processing capacities goes up to 5-6 million tons per year34. The expecting flow of goods, east-west and vice-versa, will require the increasing ports processing capacities up to about 16 million tons for 40 inhabitants of Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia and transiting parts of Bulgaria and Rumania35. The actual port processing in Albania can’t allow easy flow of the expecting regional trade.

Other than regional trade flow, TAP and Shëngjin Europort projects will considerably increase the Albanian ports processing capacities and the international maritime trade

32 IMO Search and Rescue 1979 convetion known as Hamburg Convention 1979, is ratified by Albania by Law Nr. 9055 date 24.04.2003. 33 Albania has no agreement with its maritimeneighbors countries on Maritime SAR. On May 19, 2000 Ministry of Transportation, which was responsible in Albania for Maritime SAR prior approval of Coast Guard Law, signed an agreement with Ministry of Transportation of Italy for cooperation in Maritime SAR. The agreement was ratified by Italian Parliament and entered into force on December 2001. Albania still hasn’t ratified the agreement. (noted by authors). 34 File, Çapajev Dr. Kontrolli i hapësirës detare të Shqipërisë dhe ushtrimi i sovranitetit të Shtetit Shqiptar. Shtëpia Botuese e Ushtrisë. Tirana. 2009 P. 34. 35 Idem. P. 100. Population of Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia is about 16 million inhabitants. According to the calculation of Dr. File, accounting only half of population mention above, multiplying with 2 tons for every inhabitant, result that the average expected flow of goods through Albania will be 16 million tons. Ports in Puglia Region in Italy can process up to 28 million tons per year, while ports in Bulgaria can process up to 20 million tons.



through Albania. TAP36,37,38 is going to transit through Albania 10-20 million m3 per year39, while a branch is going to be used through Albania for regional needs. When and if Shëngjin Europort will be built, it will have a processing capacity more than 40 million tons per year40. Plans expect Albania to increase the maritime processing trade around twenty times in next ten years, by showing to turn into a maritime regional power.

The easy flow of the expecting regional trade and broader requires a new balance on funding roads, rails and port infrastructures networking. Despite Shëngjin Europort project, Albania needs to be focused on building port processing capacities mainly in Bay of Vlora, as an unlimited capacity and all year weather bay, rather than Durres Port41, which has limited enlargement opportunities. Expected trade figures need national politics harmonization in regional terms. “Transportation infrastructure throughout most of Southeastern Europe, including Albania, has been under-funded, neglected, and not harmonized with European Union standards42”.

5. Respecting the fundamental freedom of the Law of the Sea

Promotion and support of the maritime activities is closely connected to the respecting of the fundamental freedoms of the Law of the Sea. The new expecting dimension of national maritime affairs will require guarantying the respect of two maritime freedoms: navigation and economic freedom.

Freedom of navigation is one of the most important fundamental freedoms of the international law of the sea and the backbone for developing maritime activity. In the same time, it is one of the national sovereignty challenges on the actual EU integration phase of Albania. Controlling and managing the maritime borders, can’t limit the freedom of navigation. Freedom of navigation is vital also for the maritime and coastal tourism. Temporary and local sea denial43, is a theory, which denials your adversaries using the sea. It can’t be apply for harming your own forces or activities. Moratorium of speed boats was a mistake, which didn’t improve the maritime border control and “was not certainly the right way to address permanently those threats” 44. Moratorium of speed boats was in force

36 TAP – Trans Adriatic Pipeline. TAP is a proposed pipeline project to transport natural gas from the Caspian and Middle East regions via a new gas transportation route starting in Greece via Albania and the Adriatic Sea to Italy and further to Western Europe. (noted by author). 37 Goga, Anastas and Metalla, Osman. Implementimi i sistemeve te reja te akostimit dhe shkarkimit te anijeve te gazit te lëngshëm dhe hidrokarbureve ne det. Symposium: Albanian Maritime System and EU experience University “Ismail Qemali, Vlore. 14-15. Aulona Press. May 2010. P 139-140. 38 From geo-political and geo-economic point of view, these complex infrastructure networks “are of strategic importance for Italy” - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Politica_Estera/Aree_Geografiche/Europa/Le_reti_infrastrutturali.htm 39 TAP. http://www.trans-adriatic-pipeline.com/al/projekti-tap/koncepti/. 40 Albanian Construction Portal. http://acp.al/Projekti-Europorti-i-Shengjinit-ne-proces-finalizimi. 41 Durres Port Authority – “The Port of Durres is the principle port in Albania, handling roughly 90 per cent of the country’s international maritime trade tonnage and 85 % of all the export and import trade of the country. The actual level of traffic is about 3,8 million tons per year”. 42 US Commercial Service - http://www.trade.gov/. 43 Sea Denial - Sea denial is a subset of sea control. Sea denial is achieved when maritime forces prevent an opposing force from using the sea for its own purposes. Sea denial is normally exercised in a given area and for a limited time – GlobalSecurity.org 44 Gerveni, Rear Admiral Kristaq. The state action at sea – Albanian perspective. Symposium: Albanian Maritime System and EU experience University “Ismail Qemali, Vlore. 14-15. Aulona Press. May 2010. P. 85.

http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Politica_Estera/Aree_Geografiche/Europa/Le_reti_infrastrutturali.htm

http://www.trans-adriatic-pipeline.com/al/projekti-tap/koncepti/



for about six years45, but the actual Albanian Government decided in March of this year not to apply it in the future.

Economic freedom is essential for development of maritime industry, including the exploration of natural maritime and seabed resources, as well as maritime transportation. Maritime industry requires advanced technology and initial capital leverage. The new maritime economic freedom must consider Albanian sea as a free economic zone, by quitting from traditional methods and creating new favourable environment for welcoming foreign investments.

The free maritime economic zone must include also the economic activity of the Albanian seagoing merchant and fishery fleet. Those two fleets are severely downsized and obsolete starting from the beginning of 90’46, and need to be rebuilt and renewed.

CONCLUSIONS

Development of a new Albanian NMSS is a matter of time. In my point of view, it is time to do that. The new strategy will merge the entire state effort to a better integration and harmonization of government and private sectors into common national maritime objectives through optimization of national limited capacities.

In the same time, the new Albanian NMSS must be an unified and comprehensive document in support of achievable objectives of the new Albanian NSS, in the new regional security environment and broader. Despite how is will be elaborated, as an integrated part of the NSS, as its appendices or a separate document, I still believe Albania need a NMSS.

Sea will be important, as it has been before, for guarantying Albania and Albanian security and their welfare. In the expected regional and European developments, Albanian maritime security isn’t a strictly national concern, but also a broader one. In regional contest, is Albania going to be a regional maritime consummator, as it has been up nowadays, or an effective contributor? Engagement of Albania to regional maritime security is a necessity, but also an obligation driven by Albanian membership in NATO, to regional security initiatives, as well as its aspiration for EU membership.

Albania needs to shift attention to its maritime security, as our maritime neighbouring countries have done it years ago. Albanian favourable geographic position is important, but insufficient. Clear and achievable determination of national objectives, toward a regional maritime engagement, will increase the credibility of Albania as well as its ambitious role in future regional trade and commerce.

45 The Moratorium of the Speed Boats was approved by the Albanian Parliament by the Law Nr. 9509 date 3.4.2006 for a period of three years. After its expiration on May 17, 2009 with the request of Albanian Government, it was renewed with some amendments by Law Nr.10220 date 4.2.2010. (noted by authors). 46 File, Çapajev Dr. P. 10. “Tonnage of Merchante Fleet before 1989 was about 107.000 ton (DWT) with 25 ships, 10 of the between 3000-17.500 tons , while in 2003 was 32.000 tons” in 1989 Fishing Fleet has 256 boats, while in 2003 only 25”.



BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Albanian Construction Portal. http://acp.al/Projekti-Europorti-i-Shengjinit.

2. Baer, George W. Notes toward a new maritime strategy. "Naval War College Review. Newport. RI. USA Spring 2007- http://www.usnwc.edu/Publications/Naval-War-College-Review/2007-Spring.aspx

3. Durrës Port Authority http://winne.com/country/europe/albania/2009/cr/cp/durres_port/index.php.

4. Gerveni, Kristaq Rear Admiral. The state action at sea – Albanian perspective. Symposium: Albanian Maritime System and EU experience University “Ismail Qemali, Vlore. 14-15. Aulona Press. May 2010.

5. Global Security Forum - http://www.globalsecurity.or

6. Goga, Anastas and Metalla, Osman. Symposium: Albanian Maritime System and EU experience University “Ismail Qemali, Vlore. 14-15. Aulona Press. May 2010.

7. Interntional Maritime Organisation (IMO) - http://www.imo.org/

8. Law Nr.9322 date 25.11.2004 ”For approval of Albanian National Security Strategy”.

9. Trans Adriatic Pipeline

http://www.trans-adriatic-pipeline.com/al/projekti-tap/koncepti/.

10. Transportation Infrastructure Development in South-eastern Europe – US Commercial Service - http://www.buyusa.gov

11. U.S. Department of the Navy. Annotated Supplement to the Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations, NWP 9 (Rev. A)/FMFM 1-10 (1989).



http://winne.com/country/europe/albania/2009/cr/cp/durres_port/index.php

http://www.globalsecurity.or/

http://www.imo.org/

http://www.trans-adriatic-pipeline.com/al/projekti-tap/koncepti/

http://www.buyusa.gov/



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SHAPING THE FUTURE ALBANIAN NATIONAL MARITIME SECURITY STRATEGY

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