Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia are moving forward with plans to put into practice a defense cooperation agreement signed on March 18 in Tirana. The accord, reached five months ago by the defense ministers of the three countries, set the stage for closer collaboration in key areas of security and defense.
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The Ministries of Defense in both Kosovo and Albania confirmed to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that expert working groups are currently drafting an implementation plan for the declaration. According to Kosovo’s Acting Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, the implementing group met in Tirana on July 18 “to break down the plan to an operational level.”
The Albanian Ministry of Defense, which hosted the signing ceremony in March, said that a finalized implementation guide is expected to be presented for approval to the three ministries in September this year.
The joint declaration, signed by Maqedonci, Albania’s Minister of Defense Pirro Vengu, and Croatia’s Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić, outlined four main areas of cooperation:
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Promoting defense capabilities and cooperation in the defense industry.
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Enhancing interoperability through education, training, and joint exercises.
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Countering hybrid threats and increasing resilience.
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Providing full support for Euro-Atlantic integration.
The declaration emphasized that the partnership aims to strengthen the three countries’ readiness to face emerging threats and meet their defense and security objectives.
Joint Defense Procurement
The first commitment in the agreement focuses on joint procurement of defense capabilities. Maqedonci explained that the goal is to place one collective order rather than three separate ones, leveraging economies of scale.
“For example, if there is a weapons system that all three states are interested in purchasing from the United States, we would make the order as one purchase, using the legislation of each country, but with a jointly determined quantity and delivery schedule. From the U.S., the more you buy, the cheaper it is and the faster it arrives,” Maqedonci told RFE/RL.
These purchases will be financed through national budgets of the respective countries.
Maqedonci also expressed hope that the partner states in the agreement will help Kosovo advance toward Euro-Atlantic integration—specifically NATO’s Partnership for Peace program—as pledged in the declaration.
Months earlier, the Croatian government told RFE/RL that the initiative is open to any other countries wishing to support Kosovo and Albania in their European and Euro-Atlantic paths. However, so far, no other states have officially announced plans to join the cooperation.
According to the Croatian government, the aim of the initiative “is not to create a military alliance” but to strengthen collaboration in a way that boosts the countries’ defensive capabilities and readiness.