Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia are advancing their defense cooperation, initially agreed upon on March 18, 2025, in Tirana, by working on the practical implementation of the joint declaration signed by their defense ministers.
Defense ministries from Kosovo and Albania confirmed to Radio Free Europe that expert groups are drafting the implementation plan, with a working group meeting held on July 18 in Tirana to break down the agreement into operational steps.
According to Albania’s Ministry of Defense, the final implementation guidelines will be presented for approval to all three ministries in September 2025.
The joint declaration, signed by Kosovo’s acting Minister of Defense Ejup Maqedonci, Albania’s Pirro Vengu, and Croatia’s Ivan Anušić, outlines four main areas of cooperation:
- Enhancement of defense capabilities and cooperation in the defense industry
- Increased interoperability through education, training, and exercises
- Countering hybrid threats and strengthening resilience
- Full support for Euro-Atlantic integration
Joint Arms Procurement
The first major step will be a joint purchase of defense equipment, particularly from the United States. Instead of separate orders, the three countries plan to place a single, coordinated order to benefit from lower costs and faster delivery times.
“For example, if all three countries purchase the same weapons system from the U.S. as a single order, it will be cheaper and delivered more quickly,” said Maqedonci.
The purchases will be financed individually by each state, but coordinated for efficiency. Kosovo also expects that this cooperation will support its NATO Partnership for Peace membership.
Wider Cooperation & Security Goals
Beyond arms procurement, the agreement envisions bilateral and trilateral military exercises, joint recruitment initiatives, and expanded education opportunities at military academies. The countries will also cooperate on cybersecurity, counter-disinformation campaigns, and countering foreign malign influence.
Information and intelligence sharing will play a central role in addressing common security challenges. The initiative has reportedly been well-received by the Pentagon and several NATO member states, though Serbia has opposed it, claiming it violates a 1996 subregional arms control agreement.
Serbia’s president Aleksandar Vučić also pointed to a parallel defense agreement between Serbia and Hungary, signed shortly after the Kosovo-Albania-Croatia declaration, as a countermeasure.
