Media: Albania steps up bid to host next NATO summit

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama lobbied NATO leaders during the alliance's summit in Ankara to secure support for holding the next NATO summit in Tirana, Bloomberg reported on July 15, citing people familiar with the discussions.

According to the report, Rama repeatedly urged NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to convince US President Donald Trump to back Albania's bid to host the gathering. He also appealed directly to other alliance leaders, pressing them to support Tirana's candidacy.

Bloomberg reported that Rama publicly referred to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as "the Sultan" while seeking Ankara's backing, a remark that reportedly left some NATO leaders perplexed.

The report said several allies remain hesitant about holding the summit in Albania because of the country's limited progress in increasing defence spending, fearing the move could draw criticism from Trump.

Following the Ankara summit, Rutte said Albania should host the alliance's next summit but did not announce a date. The summit's final declaration also omitted any reference to the timing or venue of the next meeting, marking the first such omission in years.

Bloomberg previously reported that NATO members were considering postponing a summit in Albania beyond 2027 to avoid potential friction with the United States over the choice of host country.

By Aghakazim Guliyev