Kosovo, Albania and Croatia plan joint purchase of US weapons systems

Kosovo, Albania and Croatia are in the process of implementing the defence cooperation agreement signed about five months ago, on 18 March in Tirana, by the defence ministers of the three countries. According to Radio Free Europe, this agreement includes, among other things, planning for the joint procurement of American weapons systems.

The Defence Ministries of Kosovo and Albania confirmed that technical teams are already working on the implementation plan of the agreement. Kosovo’s acting Defence Minister, Ejup Maqedonci, said that an implementation team meeting was held in Tirana on 18 July, with the aim of formulating the operational plan.

The Albanian Ministry of Defence, which hosted the signing ceremony, announced that an implementation guide, which is in the final stages of drafting, will be presented to the three ministers in September in order to receive the necessary approval.

The joint declaration signed by Ejup Maqedonci (Kosovo), Pirro Vengu (Albania) and Ivan Anušić (Croatia) provides for four main directions:

-Strengthening defence capabilities and cooperation in the relevant industry.

-Increasing interoperability through education, exercises and military training.

-Countering hybrid threats and strengthening resilience.

-Full support for Euro-Atlantic accession processes.

The text emphasizes that cooperation aims to improve preparedness against threats and achieve common goals in the field of defence and security.

The first commitment stemming from the agreement is the joint purchase of weapons systems. Maqedonci explained that the goal is to submit a single order to the US, instead of three separate ones, in order to ensure lower prices and faster delivery.

The financing of these purchases will come from the national budgets of the three countries. At the same time, Maqedonci expressed hope that this cooperation will help Kosovo move closer to joining NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.

The Croatian government has stated that the initiative is open to any country that wishes to support the European and Euro-Atlantic path of Kosovo and Albania. However, the participation of additional states has not been officially announced so far.

According to Zagreb, the goal of the cooperation is not to create a military alliance, as “NATO’s role fully meets this need.”

Maqedonci intends to use the upcoming meeting of the American-Adriatic Charter (A5) in October to invite other regional partners to join. The A5 includes Albania, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Kosovo maintains observer status.

The implementation of the agreement is expected to include joint military exercises at bilateral and trilateral levels, cooperation in personnel recruitment, and strengthening military training opportunities through academies and special programs.

In addition, close cooperation is envisaged in addressing hybrid threats, such as cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and attempts by foreign actors to influence national and regional security. In this context, the three countries will exchange information and security data.

The initiative has been welcomed by the Pentagon and some NATO member states, according to Maqedonci. However, Serbia has reacted angrily, with President Aleksandar Vučić arguing that the cooperation violates the 1996 subregional mechanism on permitted arms quantities.

A few days after the signing of the trilateral declaration, Serbia and Hungary signed a document implementing the strategic defence cooperation pact they had concluded in 2023, with Vučić estimating that this development could lead to the creation of a Serbia-Hungary military axis.

Caption: A photo dating from the 18 March signing ceremony in Tirana, on X plaform