Routledge Companion to Global Cyber-Security Strategy

2ALBANIA’S CYBERSECURITY PIVOT

Between Western architectures and great power competition

Alexander Fotescu and Mihai Chihaia

Introduction

Albania, a small country with a population of nearly 3 million people, is an emerging parliamentary democracy. The country is ethnically diverse, with a population of 60 to 70 percent Muslim citizens, and is highly urbanized with approximately 60 percent of citizens living in cities. It also has one of the youngest populations in Europe. However, the country has a poverty rate of 35 percent, and is also significantly hampered in its development by problems related to brain drain. At present 30 percent of Albania’s population lives outside of Albania and the World Bank forecasts that 280,000 people will ...