Bardhyl Kollçaku is expected to be Albania's new ambassador to NATO, in a move that brings a controversial figure from the Armed Forces back into security diplomacy.
Kollçaku held the post of Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces until 2019, when he was dismissed by then-President Ilir Meta. The dismissal was accompanied by institutional clashes and public debates over the constitutional powers of the President and the government in relation to the leadership of the army.
His name has also been mentioned in the investigations launched by the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), regarding the issue of the Limion port in Saranda. The investigations have focused on the procedures and institutional decision-making for the use of this port, while there is still no final decision from the justice bodies.
Kollçak's appointment to NATO headquarters in Brussels comes at a delicate moment for regional security and for Albania's role in the Alliance. Albania has been a member of NATO since 2009 and representation at this level is considered one of the country's most important diplomatic posts.
