Official Tirana has repeatedly shown that it remains fully committed to supporting Kosovo’s aspirations for integration into the Euro-Atlantic family and that the absolute priority for the Albanian authorities remains Pristina’s membership in the Adriatic Charter. Albania’s wishes were also joined by Croatia, expecting Bulgaria to cooperate soon regarding investments in defense and not only.
Albania, Croatia and Kosovo on Tuesday formalized a genuine defense alliance from a Regional perspective. In practice, the three countries signed what is called the “Declaration of Tripartite Military Cooperation”, the draft of which has not yet been made public. According to the official declaration, the cooperation aims to strengthen defense capabilities, develop defense industry and technology, and improve military interoperability in the Region. Albania and Croatia will also “work closely to unify political positions”, in support of the aspirations of the citizens of Kosovo for “full integration into Regional and Euro-Atlantic structures”.
The reaction of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić would be immediate, who declared that same evening that “Serbia has understood the message sent with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Croatia, Albania and Kosovo in the field of defense.”
He even emphasized that Serbia has its own doctrine, which “will ensure stability and protection against any potential aggressor”. “We understood them and we are very concerned about what they are doing. We have our doctrine and I am sure that we will succeed in maintaining stability and protection from any potential aggressor”, emphasized Vučić. Among other things, he did not forget to mention that Croatia in the “military aspect” is a “very powerful” country, as he emphasized that Serbia for the first time has “a stronger army”. However, this cooperation agreement had been discussed between the parties for more than a year, becoming concrete only yesterday. The initial idea was shared during a NATO Ministerial by the Croatian Minister of Defense, Ivan Anušić, Albanian Post has learned.
The three prime ministers of the countries agreed before the concrete implementation of the cooperation, affirming the solidity of the parties. The signing of the agreement in Tirana was a clear message from the other side, to show the position of the guarantee of the NATO allies towards such an initiative.
So much so that Bulgaria, another NATO member state, has expressed its concrete desire to join this “Regional” alliance, which has a special focus on Kosovo, even before the signing. Expected by the Serbian authorities, was a note of protest announced at the beginning of the meeting, but which has not yet reached the doors of Albanian institutions, AP learns. Belgrade opposed the measure, arguing that Albania and Croatia, together with the “illegitimate representative of the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina”, have taken steps that disrupt Regional stability. “The Republic of Serbia, as a guarantor of peace and military neutrality in the Balkans, rightly demands answers about the nature and goals of this security cooperation”, the Serbian Foreign Ministry says.
So, more than cooperation between Balkan countries, this alliance has revealed Serbia’s malicious intentions towards Kosovo, which have been proven over the last three years through a series of destabilizing acts that culminated in the attack in Banjska on September 24, 2023, when Serbian terrorists launched an attack in northern Kosovo, killing policeman Afrim Bunjaku.
At yesterday’s conference, Kosovo’s Defense Minister, Ejup Makedonci, somewhat preempted the misinterpretations of this trilateral alliance. “The aim of this cooperation is not a threat to anyone, but it is a message to all those who threaten security, peace and stability in the Western Balkans, between our countries that share common values and interests. We are united to face any threat and danger that aims to destabilize the Region”, emphasized Makedonci. The double visit (Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo – ed.) of NATO chief, Mark Rutte did not coincide with the timing of this agreement between the three countries, but was driven by the conviction that “a secure Region means more security in the entire Euro-Atlantic area”.
As Albanian Post has learned, this visit by Rutte was strongly requested by Albanian diplomacy in Brussels to give a clear message regarding recent developments in the Western Balkans.
Official Tirana has consistently shown that it remains fully committed to supporting Kosovo’s aspirations for integration into the Euro-Atlantic family and that the absolute priority for the Albanian authorities remains Pristina’s membership in the Adriatic Charter. Croatia also joined Albania’s wishes, expecting Bulgaria to cooperate soon regarding investments in defense and not only. Meanwhile, Serbia has been refusing any invitation to become part of Regional initiatives or alliances regarding security and defense for two years, Albanian Post learns, constantly proving itself to be a gravitational center of destabilization in the Western Balkans. The latest reaction to the agreement between Albania, Croatia and Kosovo reinforced it even more.
