Written by: Fatbardh Dema
A new meeting of officials from Kosovo, Albania and Croatia within the framework of the agreement on cooperation in the field of defense and security has returned groundless claims in Serbia that the alliance is a threat to the Serbian state and people.
The claim was reiterated by the head of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, Petar Petkovic, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Internal Affairs Milovan Drecun, the Minister for Human and Minority Rights, Demo Berisha, and finally by President Aleksandar Vučić.
What did these officials say?
On February 3, Petkovic declared that cooperation between Albania, Croatia and Kosovo in the field of defense is “an activity that directly threatens the stability of the Western Balkans region.”
"…Because it is clear that this cooperation is not motivated by economic interests or the need to contribute to regional prosperity, but by evil intentions.", he said, according to the website of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia.
According to Petkovic, Kosovo's inclusion in agreements with other states constitutes a "dangerous precedent" and "is an open expression of hostility towards Serbia as a peace-loving and well-intentioned neighbor."
"Serbia, as a militarily neutral state and pillar of stability in the region, is a clear target of this tripartite pact, and the alliance of Albania, Croatia and Pristina is directed directly against our state and with the aim of destabilizing the region.", declared Petkovic.
Petkovic said that Kosovo's inclusion in the military alliance is in contradiction with United Nations Resolution 1244. He said that security in Kosovo is covered by the presence of KFOR and that this is a sufficient framework, in which Albania and Croatia also participate.
Serbian-language media have also reported on his claim (see here and here).
Other senior Serbian officials have made similar statements.Military cooperation between Croatia, Albania and so-called Kosovo is a pact against the Serbian people as a whole", is the title of an article published by the Serbian language media "b92.net" on February 6th.
Milovan Drecun has said that this agreement could destabilize the region and call into question the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo. According to him, the agreement is in contradiction with United Nations Resolution 1244.
"There is no doubt that as an alliance it is directly against someone, and realistically speaking, it can only be directed against the Serbian people in general, including the Republika Srpska and the state of Serbia.", said Drecun.
Meanwhile, Demo Berisha said that this agreement was made with the aim of putting pressure on Belgrade.
"There is no dilemma here that there is a third or fifth party. There is only one party, that is Serbia, and all this is being done to exert pressure on Serbia because we have countries in the region that are all part of NATO, KFOR is present in Kosovo and there is no need for such an alliance.", He said.
Also on February 6, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić called the Kosovo-Albania-Croatia cooperation as created "for defensive or offensive actions against certain territories."
"As the president of Serbia, I am very, very concerned about the military alliance between Tirana, Pristina and Zagreb. Don't get me wrong, it is not a military-technical alliance. It is not an alliance for military-technical cooperation. So they say 'you buy weapons from me, I will buy from you'. To this I would say, except with Pristina, Tirana-Zagreb have no problem, but this is a military alliance that is being created for defense or for offensive actions against certain territories, or a defensive alliance for certain territories that within one day turns into an offensive alliance," he said, as he wrote, "rtv.rs".
"How is anyone going to attack Albania? Why do you form a military alliance, even though you are in NATO? Both Croatia and Albania are in NATO, Pristina is not, so the next question that arises is how do you form a military alliance with Pristina?" he continued.
Vučić also said that he is concerned about plans for Kosovo to purchase weapons from the United States and Turkey.
The truth?
None of the officials in question have backed up their claims with facts. They have not mentioned why this is dangerous for Serbia, nor have they relied on the signed documents or even the statements made by the signatories.
But, this is a continuation of a narrative that began at the moment the agreement was formalized, and now returns immediately after the new trilateral meeting at the level of directors of defense and armaments policies.
Order of facts:
In Tirana, on March 18, 2025, Kosovo, Albania and Croatia formalized a joint statement on expanding cooperation in defense and security. The agreement was signed by the current acting Minister of Defense of Kosovo, Ejup Maqedonci, as well as by his counterparts, Pirro Vengu of Albania and Ivan Anušić of Croatia.
In the declaration signed by the Macedonian minister, the Albanian Vengu, and the Croatian Anušić, four points of cooperation were defined:
- Promoting defense capacities and cooperation for the relevant industry;
- Increasing interoperability through education, training and exercises;
- Combating hybrid threats and increasing resilience;
- Providing full support for Euro-Atlantic integration.
The full text of the declaration does not mention Serbia or any issues related to the offensive. It consistently talks about the development of defense capacities with the aim of increasing security and stability in the region (see here).
In this context, it is understood that the agreement is not an act directed against Serbia, but an opportunity to increase cooperation and security in a region where there have been historical tensions and conflicts.
The then Minister of Defense of Kosovo, Ejup Maqedonci, announced that the first commitment foreseen in the joint declaration is the realization of joint purchases of weapons, by placing a single order from the United States of America (USA) on behalf of Kosovo, Albania and Croatia, with the aim of reducing costs and accelerating delivery deadlines (see here).
The cooperation agreement between Kosovo, Albania and Croatia, even according to the statements of the Defense Ministers of the countries signing the agreement, does not have an aggressive character, but aims to strengthen cooperation in security, increase interoperability through training and contribute to regional peace, without constituting a threat to any state. It reflects the common orientation towards Euro-Atlantic integration and the support of Kosovo by two NATO member countries within the framework of the stability and security of the Western Balkans. In this context, the role of NATO and the KFOR mission remains a key stabilizing factor, while the agreement is in line with long-term efforts to preserve peace and prevent conflicts in the region.
That the intention is not hostile was reiterated on January 26, 2026 by the Albanian Minister of Defense, Pirro Vengu. He also said that he had invited Serbia to participate in the initiative, but that it had not responded (see here).
"I can tell you that it is a tripartite agreement that it is not built against anyone. I was even the first to express an invitation, why not, that Serbia, if it considers that the region, stability, sustainability and the Euro-Atlantic future of the countries in the region are important, then why not Serbia to join this initiative. You will be surprised that I have not received a response regarding this invitation. What I can tell you is that Croatia, Albania and Kosovo have begun, based on this agreement, whether in the military, training, academic and educational fields, but also in military production, to cooperate.", said Vengu.
He said that the agreement does not include defense guarantees, but was also achieved because the three countries have read the risks and threats in the same way and that the three countries have similar needs for increased capacities.
Resolution 1244
Resolution 1244 does not prevent the supply of weapons to Kosovo. Although it maintains the interim international security framework, Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and has secured international recognition, as well as signed bilateral military and armament agreements with NATO member states. (see here and here).
The armament does not violate KFOR's mandate and does not constitute prohibited militarization. According to Law on the Kosovo Security ForceThe Kosovo Security Force (KSF) has certain powers and principles. These include only aspects of protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity and interests of Kosovo.
Kosovo has reached agreements for the purchase of weapons with other NATO countries and has been doing so for several years now, since three laws were adopted in December 2018 to transform the KSF into an army.
KFOR is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Kosovo. Its troops are mandated to provide a secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo. Their mandate stems from United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, which called for the withdrawal of all Serbian forces from Kosovo and the entry of international peacekeeping troops (See here).
After the transition of the KSF into the army through laws, the then Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said that "The KSF will not replace KFOR"and that the KSF is ready to serve alongside KFOR forces."
The US had considered it Kosovo's sovereign right to transform the KSF into a force "with a mandate for territorial defense" (see here).
Moreover, there has been no statement from NATO opposing the Kosovo-Albania-Croatia cooperation. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was asked at a press conference on 2 April 2025 how NATO views the Croatia-Albania-Kosovo cooperation. In response, Rutte said that it was not his place to comment on every development in the world, but added that these are matters for the allies to decide individually (see here).
"Stability in the Western Balkans is a major concern. That is why NATO is present in Kosovo and also in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have five allies, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Croatia and Slovenia, and we are all working closely together. But please understand that for me as Secretary General, I must refrain from commenting on any development in any part of the world, including in the Western Balkans. That is really up to the allies to decide individually," he said.
He was also asked about the signing of a defense agreement between Serbia and Hungary and whether NATO was consulted beforehand.
"Well, we're seeing in the region, certainly, more of these bilateral and trilateral agreements, like the one with Albania, Kosovo and Croatia. And of course we have. And this is coming too. I mean this is external. NATO is not part of it. So this has nothing to do with the Alliance," he said.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence and considers the state part of it. However, the European Union is mediating the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia with the aim of normalizing relations. In 2023, Kosovo and Serbia agreed on an agreement on the path to normalization, which, among other things, requires Serbia not to hinder Kosovo's membership in international organizations (see here).
Kosovo has held Serbia responsible for the armed attack in Banjska Zvečan in 2023, when a Kosovo policeman was killed. During the exchange of fire with the Serbian armed group, three Serbian attackers were also killed. The former deputy leader of the political entity, Serbian List, Milan Radoićić, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Kosovo Special Prosecution has filed an indictment against 45 people in the case (see here).
New activity, old narrative:
The revival of the narrative that Kosovo-Croatia-Albania military cooperation threatens Serbia returned immediately after officials from the three Ministries of Defense met in Croatia, with the aim of concretizing the agreed areas of cooperation.
According to the announcement from the Ministry of Defense in Kosovo (February 3th), the meeting exchanged views on "opportunities for advancing joint cooperation in the field of defense capabilities, cooperation between the defense industries of the signatory countries, as well as further steps for the implementation of the Declaration".
This announcement also reiterated that the declaration is for the further strengthening of trilateral cooperation in the field of security and defense.
Hibrid.info has already covered other similar statements by Serbian officials, that the Kosovo-Croatia-Albania military agreement is a danger to Serbia. Other cases covered by hibrid.info regarding these narratives can be found on the website (see here and here)
In conclusion, the return of a trilateral Kosovo-Albania-Croatia meeting within the framework of the military cooperation agreement has revived the old baseless narrative of Serbian officials that this cooperation is against Serbia. The claims, repeated by several senior officials in Belgrade, remain unsupported by facts and documents, as the agreement has a cooperative, non-aggressive character, and aims to strengthen regional security, without threatening any state.