A declaration by the Defense Ministers of Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia, committing to increase military readiness and provide specific assistance to Kosovo, has alarmed Serbia. The ministers also pledged to explore industrial cooperation in defense, promoting access to resources and supply chains to build a competitive and sustainable defense industry.
The declaration, signed earlier this week, was made public and has sparked concern in Serbia. It outlines the three nations' commitment to bolster their military forces and includes provisions for targeted support for Kosovo.
The document is structured into four main sections, following a preamble.
The first section details the ministers' commitment to enhancing defense capabilities and industry cooperation through: "exploring the development and procurement of defense capabilities via multinational cooperative solutions to increase the readiness of our military forces; identifying areas for defense industrial cooperation, promoting access to resources and supply chains to create a competitive and sustainable defense industry; increasing efforts to invest in new technologies and innovations to accelerate and ensure a unified approach to security and defense transformation."
The second section focuses on improving interoperability through education, training, and exercises. This will be achieved by: "sharing experience and best practices in the recruitment, development, and retention of qualified personnel, including the exchange of reserve force concepts, to enhance preventive and defensive capabilities; increasing individual and collective education and training opportunities through relevant military academies and colleges, to foster a better strategic understanding of common threats and challenges; strengthening bilateral and/or trilateral exercises to improve interoperability, in line with NATO and EU training and exercise policies, to ensure forces are adequately prepared."
The third section addresses countering hybrid threats and enhancing resilience. This will be pursued by: "strengthening joint measures to counter hybrid threats, including cyber threats, disinformation campaigns, and malicious foreign influence that could compromise or affect national and regional security; exchanging intelligence and information for strategic and operational situational awareness and coordination among defense institutions to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to challenges facing our respective countries; exploring response options that address a wide range of potential threats to our critical infrastructure and communication networks and that foster cohesion and mutual assistance."
The fourth section is dedicated to providing full support for Euro-Atlantic integration. Croatia and Albania are NATO members, while Kosovo aspires to join the alliance.
The declaration commits the states to align their policies and positions with Euro-Atlantic multilateral security and defense institutions and structures, to advance their common national and regional interests and objectives.
Specific assistance for Kosovo is also highlighted: "demonstrating commitment to closer cooperation and coordination for the full integration of Kosovo into regional security and defense initiatives; supporting Kosovo's Euro-Atlantic perspective by providing support for its status in NATO's Partnership for Peace."
The preamble emphasizes the strong and stable relations between Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo, based on shared values, strategic orientations, and mutual commitments to regional security and cooperation. It also reaffirms the goal of strengthening trilateral cooperation in security and defense to enhance security and stability in Southeast Europe and the Adriatic-Ionian region.
Furthermore, the preamble underscores the importance of joint efforts to address emerging security challenges, hybrid threats, and other risks that could undermine regional, European, and international stability.
"Adopting immediate measures to develop defense capabilities, embracing the ambitions derived from NATO's Strategic Concept and the European Union's Strategic Compass, designed to enhance our capacity to protect our territories and populations, as well as to contribute to international peace and security," the preamble continues. "Advancing joint measures to increase defense industrial cooperation and production in line with NATO's Defense Industrial Pledge and the European Union's plan for the 'Re-arming of Europe'."
The declaration was signed in Tirana on March 18. The ministers expressed their determination "to ensure that we are well-positioned to address current and emerging threats, and to achieve our defense and security objectives."
A day earlier, President Vjosa Osmani stated that Serbia is the only Western Balkan country posing a threat to the region. This came after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić warned that his country was threatened by the military agreement between Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia.
President Osmani insisted on Friday that the agreement aims to do the opposite. She also stated that it is a common practice among NATO countries to sign agreements based on shared values. She asserted that Serbia disseminated propaganda following the signing of the document by the three states.
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