NATO postpones summit in Albania — member states still have no date

NATO has postponed its planned summit in Albania after member states failed to agree on a date, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said during a visit to Dublin. Rama confirmed Albania will not host a summit in 2027.

Speaking in Dublin, Rama added that "if the summit takes place in 2028, the host will be Tirana." He framed the development as a scheduling delay rather than a withdrawal of Albania's hosting role.

Reasons and background

Allies have not yet reached a consensus on when to convene the next leaders' meeting, a situation that forced NATO to move away from its earlier timetable. The Alliance is also weighing a broader change in practice by reconsidering whether to hold leaders' summits every year.

Earlier reporting indicated that plans for a summit in Albania were put under strain by reservations within the US administration and by dissatisfaction among some allies over Albania's defence spending levels. Those concerns contributed to the lack of agreement on timing.

NATO officials have said Albania remains the designated host for the next summit, stressing that the issue is a postponement of the previously planned date rather than a cancellation of Tirana's hosting role. Exact new dates have not been set.

For now, the timetable for the next NATO leaders' meeting remains uncertain; member states will need to resolve outstanding objections before a firm date can be agreed.

Photo: press material from the event