The Opening Up of the Alliance Enhancement of the Partnership for Peace Programme Practical Benefits of PfP in the Crisis in Albania Developments in Albania in the Spring of 1997 led to an internal crisis resulting in the disintegration of many of the nation's institutions including the armed forces. Coordinated efforts to assist Albania were made both bilaterally and by relevant international organisations. In response to Albania's request NATO offered to help to rebuild the armed forces, using PfP as a practical mechanism for doing so, in parallel with specially targeted bilateral assistance by NATO member countries. Multifaceted assistance was provided through a specially tailored programme covering the second half of 1997 and the first half of 1998, enabling the Albanian forces to begin the rebuilding process. The process has begun and is proceeding on course although it will take a considerable time before it is completed because of the extent of the damage caused by the crisis. A small NATO/PfP cell manned by NATO personnel was established in Tirana for a limited duration to assist Albania in obtaining maximum benefit from these measures and to help in the implementation of the special PfP Individual Partnership Programme for Albania. The evolving crisis in Kosovo in the Spring of 1998 accentuated the urgency of rebuilding the Albanian armed forces, as a result of which measures to assist in accelerating the process are being considered. While the Partnership for Peace continues to evolve, its use as a tool for assisting a NATO Partner country to recover from the effects of a serious internal crisis testifies to the utility and flexibility of the programme and to its status as a permanent and important feature of Europe's new security environment.