Albania decided on Wednesday to offer arms and ammunition to Afghan authorities, contributing to the international community's efforts there, officials said.

"Albania will offer for free some 30,000 automatic weapons as well as some 50 million pieces of ammunition to the Afghan police," the government said in a statement.

Albania became a member of NATO in April 2008 and has a 306-soldier contingent serving with the international mission tackling Taliban and other militants in Afghanistan.

Albanian army units have served within the European Union forces in Bosnia, as well as in other NATO peace missions in the world.