Defence Minister Niko Peleshi and the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Assoc. Prof. Bajram Begaj, participated in the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Albanian Military Aviation.
The ceremony was attended by the representatives of "Aviators Association of Albania" and the “Association of Families of Aviation Martyrs", families and friends of martyrs, at the Air Force Command, Rinas.
Defence Minister Niko Peleshi, in his greeting word stressed that this is a very special day and the Air Force is the pride of our Armed Forces. He said among others that: "Black Hawk Helicopters will soon be added to the challenging projects of the future for the Air Force modernization and enhancement. Furthermore, the improvement of infrastructure, support systems and capacities, logistics, as well as the training of pilots and technicians will continue."
In his welcoming speech at this ceremony, ChoD Major General Assoc. Prof. Bajram Begaj, emphasized that our Military Aviation has written a glorious history during these seven decades of sublime dedication and sacrifice. "The military mission of the Air Force and its tasks, the contribution in emergency situations, in difficult and critical times, in adversity and need, in helping out and saving lives, has made our military aviation and its pilots, the most beloved people, honored and adored by the people, irreplaceable parts of our national history", - said among others Major General Asocc. Prof. Begaj.
Focusing on the Armed Forces reform processes, Major General Begaj stressed that the Air Force and its military aviation have gone through necessary and inevitable processes of reform, transformation and development, within the framework of national Euro-Atlantic commitments, work and engagement in NATO. "Modernizing and expanding the fleet of helicopters and other Air Force elements will make it a more powerful, efficient and operational force. Some of the major US cooperation projects are related to the Air Force, such as Black Hawk helicopters equipment, radar training and maintenance; thus, the Minister of Defense and I evaluate them as important projects with a long-term impact on the Air Force. ", - stressed Major General Asocc. Prof. Begaj.
Concluding, ChoD Major General Assoc. Prof. Bajram Begaj addressed a tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives in the military aviation and a special message of respect and gratitude to all aviators, engineering, military and civilian personnel of this force over the years.
