Albania to host NATO Parliamentary Assembly

Albania will host for the first time the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly later this month in Tirana, head of the Albanian delegation to the body said Saturday.

Pandeli Majko, chairman of the Albanian delegation to the interparliamentary organ of the military alliance, said the three-day meeting, scheduled to open on May 27, will bring together about 700 participants from NATO member states, partner countries and observer states.

"Albania as a NATO member country has the honor to host the Parliamentary Assembly, which will discuss the toughest challenges that our Alliance has to cope with in the near and distant future," said Majko.

NATO Parliamentary Assembly, founded in 1955, consists of 257 delegates from the 28 NATO member countries.

Albania became a full-fledged NATO member on April 4, 2009. Endi