Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia are advancing their March defense declaration into concrete initiatives aimed at bolstering regional defense and interoperability.
The agreement highlighted goals such as building defense capacity, strengthening joint training, countering hybrid threats, and supporting Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, Radio Evropa e Lire reported.
Acting Kosovo Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci said that working groups met in Tirana in July to break down the plan operationally, with the final document expected to be ready for approval by the three defense ministries in September.
Defense Cooperation in Practice
A key element is coordinated arms procurement, where the three countries will place a unified order rather than separate national purchases. This marks the first tangible implementation of the March pact. Funding will come from each government, with delivery schedules and volumes decided collectively.
The framework also includes enhanced training programs, new bilateral and trilateral military drills, and cooperation among military academies. Joint efforts will focus on addressing hybrid threats such as cyberattacks and disinformation, with intelligence sharing at the core of these measures.
Regional and International Dynamics
Croatia’s Ministry of Defense emphasized the initiative is inclusive of NATO and EU partners seeking to reinforce security in Southeast Europe, while underscoring it does not represent a formal military alliance.
Maqedonci also revealed plans to leverage the upcoming US-Adriatic Charter meeting to bring additional regional actors into the fold.
The United States and NATO allies welcomed the initiative, though Serbia strongly opposed it, warning it could resemble the creation of a new military bloc.
