An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.
Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis meeting with Albanian Minister of Defense Olta Xhacka

Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout:
 
Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis welcomed Albanian Minister of Defense Olta Xhacka to the Pentagon to reaffirm the strong defense relationship between the United States and Albania.
 
Secretary Mattis praised the significant contributions Albania has made to global and coalition operations, including nearly 300 personnel serving in four major NATO operations. He thanked Minister Xhacka for Albania’s strong leadership in the Western Balkans, and for its efforts to counter Russian malign influence in the region. He.
 
Secretary Mattis praised Albania’s recent increase in defense spending and plan to meet the NATO Wales Summit Defense Spending Pledge by 2024.