On June 13, a historic defense agreement between Kosovo and the United States will be signed, Acting Minister of Defense Ejup Maqedonci announced.
He emphasized that this is the first-ever framework defense agreement to be signed between Kosovo’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“The agreement covers multiple areas of cooperation over a five-year period and includes several crucial elements,” said Maqedonci.
According to the Minister, the agreement will include cooperation in the defense industry, including joint production of weapons systems and ammunition with the United States.
It will also cover air defense systems, which Maqedonci said will enhance Kosovo’s protection against potential aerial attacks.
“This agreement supports and promotes cooperation in the defense industry, enabling us to jointly produce weapons systems and ammunition with the U.S., and also addresses air defense. This means systems that protect Kosovo from potential aerial attacks. At this level, our first such agreement was signed with Turkey — this will be the second of its kind,” Maqedonci stated on the show Debat Plus.
What Happened with “Defender Europe 2023”?
Maqedonci also addressed developments surrounding the international military exercise Defender Europe, calling the cancellation of the Distinguished Visitors Day in 2023 a “hasty decision” — but one that was beyond the control of Kosovo’s institutions.
“I believe the decision to cancel the Distinguished Visitors Day was hasty. Nonetheless, I understand that the decision came from an institution outside of Kosovo,” Maqedonci said.
Despite past challenges, he described Defender Europe 2025 as one of Kosovo’s greatest achievements in cooperation with the U.S. and NATO partners.
“This time, we participated with nearly 1,000 troops on the ground not only in Babaj i Bokës (Kosovo) but also in Albania, North Macedonia, and Croatia. Kosovo was one of 18 host countries, contributing close to 1,000 personnel,” he added.
Maqedonci noted the high level of trust the United States has shown in Kosovo’s institutions especially in the professionalism of its armed forces, which for the first time led the tactical command of a division overseeing activities across Southeastern Europe.
“The U.S. demonstrated significant trust in our institutions, especially in the professionalism of our military, by placing the tactical command of the division overseeing all brigades in Southeastern Europe in Kosovo’s hands. This was done not through NATO’s current mission, but through direct cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and the Kosovo Security Force,” he concluded.
