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Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe. Since 1990, the economy has struggled to recover from the distortions of the communist regime, the impact of the move to a market economy and the 1997 Pyramid Crisis. Growth is strong albeit from a very low base. The maintenance of law and order remains a problem in Albania. There are high levels of organised crime and corruption. When Albania started the transition from central planning to a market economy, it was the poorest and most isolated and backward country in Europe. For centuries, Albania had been largely unknown and inaccessible, and, from 1945 to 1985, its isolation was compounded by the rigid communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha.

The reform of the Albanian Armed Forces began in 1991, together with the transformation of Albanian society from a centralized planned economy to a market-oriented one with respect for rule of law and democratic values. The reform of the armed forces is a complex process that is complicated even more by the ways that national interests are defined in the post-Cold War era.

Two idiosyncratic features that can be said to define the state of civil-military relations in Albania. First, historically there have been no tendencies in the Albanian army to seize controlover politics and civic affairs. This is an attribute of the Albanian army that find its explanations in the national tradition rather than in the establishment and functioning of democratic institutions, since Albania - as is the case in most of the states of the region - is lacking in democratic experience and tradition. Second, while there is little evidence of the tendency of military structures to intervene in the civic affairs, the opposite tendency is discernible. The (mis)use of the military by civilians is a dimension of civil-military relations in Albania, and politicized and partisan reforms have negatively influenced the process of professionalization of the armed forces and its establishment. The military has often been the target of political purges in the event of drastic changes in the governance of the country.

The year 1997 was a momentous year for Albania. A general violent outburst spread all over the country due to the frustration caused by the loss of life savings by hundred of thousands of Albanians in a large number of "pyramid" investment schemes. The event was followed by a total disintegration of the nation's military structures and capabilities. As a result, conscripts abandoned military units and their officers, military installations became prey to criminal elements, and arms and ammunition were stolen. This situation led to new elections and the establishment of a new socialist government.

After the 1997 crisis that saw the dismantling of the Albanian armed forces, the Partnership for Peace (PfP) took the main role in developing a program of assistance to rebuild the armed forces through the Individual Partnership Program. One of the most urgent tasks for Albania was the restoration of civil order and the creation of a viable security structure consistent with a democratic society. The task included the reconstruction of the Albanian armed forces and the training of a non-partisan professional police force.

Preparing seriously for membership in NATO, the National Membership ActionPlan (MAP) was issued by the Albanian Ministry of Defense in October 2001. In April of 2000, Albania accepted a very demanding Partnership Goal package, comprising fifty-three Partnership goals, of which thirty-one were MAP-related. This package aimed primarily at improving the interoperability of the Albanian armed forces




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