Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, speaking before the joint session of the Parliaments of Kosovo and Albania, stated that the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the resurgence of conflicts in the Middle East, and terrorist attacks against Kosovo, including those in Banjskë and the Ibër-Lepenc water channel, have made Kosovo’s NATO membership an urgent issue.
“Terrorist attacks against Kosovo, the one in Banjskë and the recent one in the Ibër-Lepenc water canal, all originate from the same address Serbia. If it’s not Serbia, it’s both Serbia and Russia together. This has made the issue of NATO membership urgent,” he said. He added that, as never before, Kosovo has extended its sovereignty to the north, and these sporadic terrorist attacks by paramilitaries orchestrated and funded by Serbia are, in his view, expressions of Serbia’s impotence.
“In the past, they didn’t commit terrorist acts because they had everything under control. Now that they’ve lost control, they resort to terrorism. But this is the end for them. Their terrorist acts are their despair and the end of their dominance,” Kurti continued.
He went on to state that Kosovo has never been stronger militarily. According to him, investments in defense between 2021 and 2023 amounted to over 239 million euros, compared to just 4 million euros between 2018 and 2020.
“NATO is in Kosovo, but Kosovo is not yet in NATO. However, Kosovo is making giant strides toward NATO. NATO does not have its own armament; it only has the armament of its member states. In contrast to the period between 2018 and 2020 when we had less than 4 million in defense investments, from 2021 to 2023, we have over 239 million euros invested in arms and ammunition. Therefore, we should not join NATO because we are not strong enough, but we will join because we will become stronger and, through NATO, we will both contribute and benefit,” he said.
The Prime Minister also spoke about joint achievements, noting that Albania is among the top five countries with the highest trade volumes and is Kosovo’s main partner for 2023, with trade valued at 440 million euros. He emphasized that while they are aware of their progress, they cannot be complacent, as there is much work to be done not only for the citizens of both states but for all Albanians living in neighboring countries.
He stressed that Albanians in Serbia are the most discriminated ethnic group in Europe.
“Albanians in Serbia are the most discriminated ethnic community in Europe. Therefore, they deserve greater attention in coordinating regional policies between the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Kosovo. Albanians are not to blame for being indigenous. In next year’s budget, we have allocated 4 million euros for the Presheva Valley. I hope this will serve as an example for Albania as well,” he concluded.
