Albania, a majority Muslim country, is ready to double its small military contingent in Iraq "up to 100, even 200, men", Prime Minister Fatos Nano was quoted as saying in Saturday's edition of the Corriere della Sera.
"A hundred, 200, those are the limits of our resources. For our country, for sure, it is not a negligible economic sacrifice but it is worth it," Nano said, adding that the current Albanian military presence in Iraq was 71.
He said the Albanian soldiers were based in the northern Mosul region, where they had patrol duties under US command. "For the time being, there have been no casualties in the mission," he said.
"I think that the fact of being familiar with the practices, rites and customs, the Islamic mentality makes their presence on Iraqi soil certainly easier and safer," the Socialist premier added.
He also indicated that Tirana would be happy for the Albanians to come under Italian command.
"I would not be in the least unhappy if, for example, they were attached to the Italians in Iraq. Italian soldiers have had a big hand in training ours. Integration is good and Albanian soldiers even speak Italian."
Albania took the side of the United States in the Iraqi crisis from the outset and was one of the first countries to send soldiers to Iraq in essentially a symbolic gesture.
Tirana, which has also declared itself willing to shelter one or more American military bases, is counting on Washington's active support for its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as of 2005.
Units of the Albanian army are also involved in the international peacekeeping missions in Bosnia-Hercegovina and Afghanistan.
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