Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Albania's strong commitment to NATO in a visit to Tirana on Thursday (10 December 2015). After talks with Prime Minister Edi Rama, Mr. Stoltenberg thanked Albania for its continued contributions to the Alliance's missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, and for its efforts to build the defence capabilities of NATO partners Georgia and Ukraine. Highlighting Albania's key role in the Western Balkans, the Secretary General added that Tirana's cooperation with its neighbours makes "a valuable contribution to the security across the region."