By Albert Rakipi
On March 18, 2025, the Defense Ministers of Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia signed a Joint Declaration on military cooperation. Though not a formal treaty or binding alliance, the Declaration marks a pivotal moment for regional security in Southeast Europe. It reflects a growing recognition among these countries of the need for deeper collaboration to respond to both regional and global security challenges.
This Declaration, while non-binding, carries substantial political and strategic weight. It is a roadmap—an expression of shared intent—toward greater military readiness, defense modernization, and collective action. It symbolizes a clear shift: from fragmented national defense strategies to a more integrated approach based on mutual trust and a shared Euro-Atlantic vision.
The document outlines several core areas of cooperation. Foremost is the commitment to joint military training and exercises aimed at enhancing interoperability. This is crucial in a region still shaped by complex historical legacies and contemporary threats, where a coordinated military response is often the difference between stability and escalation.
Equally significant is the focus on defense industry development and technological innovation. This ambition signals a forward-looking strategy, one that seeks to build self-reliance and reduce dependence on external suppliers, while encouraging regional capacity-building in defense production and research.
The Declaration also tackles modern threats that transcend traditional military concerns—namely, hybrid threats such as cyberattacks, disinformation, and other forms of asymmetric warfare. These are now central elements of geopolitical competition, and addressing them jointly not only protects critical infrastructure but also reinforces the resilience of democratic institutions across the region.
One of the most politically salient elements of the Declaration is its clear support for Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration, particularly its involvement in NATO’s Partnership for Peace. This represents more than diplomatic backing—it places Kosovo firmly on the map of collective defense and aligns it more closely with Western security architectures.
This alignment becomes even more significant when viewed through the lens of today’s geopolitical landscape. Russia’s war in Ukraine, its growing assertiveness, and its interference in the Western Balkans—often through disinformation, energy leverage, and political proxies—have heightened the urgency for regional defense cooperation. In this context, the Declaration acts as a strategic signal: a demonstration of unity, resilience, and alignment with NATO values among member states and aspirants alike.
Although the Declaration does not constitute a formal alliance, it builds trust, enhances trilateral defense coordination, and strengthens Kosovo’s strategic position. In a region marked by historic fragility and external manipulation, this step represents a timely and necessary recalibration toward collective security and deterrence.
However, Serbia’s response has been predictably negative. Serbian officials have framed the Declaration as a threat to regional stability and national security. This reaction, while unsurprising, is both misleading and indicative of a broader reluctance to accept the region’s shifting geopolitical orientation toward the Euro-Atlantic community.
Serbia’s criticism disregards the Declaration’s non-binding nature and its clearly stated objectives—none of which are hostile or exclusionary. Rather than promoting aggression, the Declaration reinforces NATO’s Strategic Concept and the EU’s Strategic Compass, with goals such as interoperability, countering hybrid threats, and defense modernization.
More ironically, Serbia’s own military cooperation with Russia and China complicates its narrative. While it accuses its neighbors of destabilizing actions, Serbia continues to deepen ties with powers whose influence often runs counter to democratic values and Western security goals. This contradiction undermines its credibility and reinforces the notion that real threats to the region stem from efforts to block integration, not from cooperation among democratic states.
Serbia’s reaction may also be rooted in a lingering sense of past dominance in the region—a mindset that fails to acknowledge the new strategic reality. Instead of rejecting regional cooperation initiatives, Serbia could choose engagement. It could contribute to collective efforts that serve the broader goals of transparency, security, and shared prosperity.
This Declaration does not seek to isolate or antagonize. On the contrary, it offers a blueprint for inclusive security cooperation. If Serbia truly desires peace and stability in the Western Balkans, it should at least respect such initiatives—if not embrace them.
The time has come for all regional actors to show strategic maturity. Viewing Euro-Atlantic cooperation as a zero-sum game is a dangerous illusion. Stability, security, and development in Southeast Europe depend on collaboration, not confrontation.
This Declaration is more than a symbolic gesture—it is a step toward deterrence, preparedness, and a shared strategic future. It is an opportunity that the region—and especially Serbia—cannot afford to ignore.
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The author is the Chairman of the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS), Tirana, Albania
