Niko Peleshi MP
Member of the Albanian Parliament for Korça
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 June 2017 (2017-06-25)
35th Defence Minister of Albania
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 January 2021 (2021-01-04)
Prime Minister	Edi Rama
Preceded by	Olta Xhaçka
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
In office 13 September 2017 (2017-09-13) – 5 January 2019 (2019-01-05)
Prime Minister	Edi Rama
Preceded by	Edmond Panariti
Succeeded by	Bledi Çuçi
Deputy Prime Minister of Albania
In office 15 September 2013 (2013-09-15) – 22 May 2017 (2017-05-22)
Prime Minister	Edi Rama
Preceded by	Myqerem Tafaj
Succeeded by	Ledina Mandia
Mayor of Korçë
In office 18 February 2007 (2007-02-18) – 15 September 2013 (2013-09-15)
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Robert Damo
Succeeded by	Sotiraq Filo
Personal details
Born	(1970-11-11) 11 November 1970 (age 53) Korçë, Albania
Political party	Socialist
Alma mater	Polytechnic University of Tirana
Signature

Niko Aleks Peleshi (born 11 November 1970) is an Albanian politician who is currently serving as the Minister of Defence since the 31st of December in 2020. He previously has served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Albania in September 2013.^{[citation needed]} He was Prefect of Korçë from 2004^[1] to 2005 and Mayor of Korçë^[2] from 2007 to 2012. Since 2012 he has been a member of the Presidency of the Socialist Party. He's been an official deputy since 2019.

Biography

He is married to Amarda Peleshi and has three children.

He graduated with honours in Electronic Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Tirana and was awarded the title of Electronic Engineer. In 1989 he completed secondary education with honors in Korçë, at Raqi Qirinxhi High School.

Peleshi worked for several years in the private business sector in the city of Korçë and was head of the Korçë Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2001 to 2004.

His political career started in October 2004 when he was appointed Prefect of Korça Region. He stayed in office for one year. In 2005 he was elected Chair of Korçë Socialist Party Branch. In the local elections of February 2007 he was elected Mayor of Korçë, to be reconfirmed in this office in the 2011 local elections. He is a member of the Socialist Party Chairmanship since 2012.

In 2013 he became a full of the Monitoring Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

He is proficient in English and German.^{[citation needed]}