Albania’s PM says 2027 NATO summit will not be held in Tirana

What the report says

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in Dublin on Thursday that NATO will not hold its planned summit in Tirana in 2027, adding that there was no agreed date yet and that a 2028 meeting in the capital would be possible if a summit goes ahead. Al Jazeera, citing remarks from Rama and a NATO official, reported that the alliance still expects to meet in Albania at some point, but the timing remains unsettled.

The uncertainty comes after earlier reporting and diplomatic discussion about whether Tirana would host the next NATO gathering. According to the article, resistance from the administration of US President Donald Trump and concern among some NATO members about Albania’s relatively low defence spending had already cast doubt on the plan. NATO leaders had previously said in a June 2025 declaration that they looked forward to meeting in Albania after Turkey, though later language from an alliance summit in Ankara did not specify a date or venue.

The report also places the announcement against domestic pressure on Rama, who has governed for 13 years and has faced months of protests. Those demonstrations began after preliminary approval for a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner in a protected coastal wetland area, then broadened into wider anti-government rallies over corruption allegations and university conditions. The government has rejected the criticism, while opposition lawmakers have joined protest actions in parliament. The broader significance is that the summit question reflects both NATO’s internal scheduling and Albania’s political tensions at home.