Italy donated a military vessel to Albania on Tuesday to support the country in strengthening its armed forces, enhancing coastal patrols, and increasing its contribution to NATO missions.

The Libra P 402 ship, a Cassiopea-class patrol vessel built by Italy in the late 1980s, docked at the western port of Durrës and was officially handed over to Albania during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama and defence ministers of both countries. A large Albanian flag was painted on its side and its number was changed to P 133.

The 1,476-tonne, 79.8-metre-long vessel can reach speeds of up to 20 knots and has a range of 3,200 nautical miles. Primarily designed for maritime patrol and surveillance, it accommodates a 60-member crew and is equipped with a helipad and a garage

Since Albania’s accession to NATO in 2009, Italy has been one of its most significant supporters in efforts to modernise its military in line with NATO standards. The renovated airport in the central city of Kuçovë was converted into a NATO technical air base last year.

The small Western Balkan country has deployed numerous troops to NATO-led peacekeeping missions in Europe and beyond. Albania is also currently engaged in full membership negotiations to join the European Union.

While under Italian ownership last year, the Libra was used in the first two of three attempts to transfer 73 migrants to Albania. However, Italian magistrates declined to validate their detention in the non-EU country, and all individuals were promptly returned to Italy.

In November 2023, Albania signed a five-year agreement with Italy to open two fast-track asylum-processing centres capable of holding up to 3,000 migrants rescued by the Italian coast guard in international waters. Last month, Italy’s far-right-led government approved a decree expanding the role of these centres to include repatriation hubs, in line with a recent EU proposal.

Also read: Albania | Start of production of the domestic defence industry – Establishment of a state-owned company to strengthen it