Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo signed a joint declaration on defense cooperation on March 18 in Tirana.
This event provoked a strong reaction from the Serbian authorities. Vučić interpreted the move as a threat both to the territorial integrity of the country and to regional stability.
On the other hand, the document outlines an agreement among the signatory countries to “strengthen the defense and security industry, increase military interoperability through joint training and exercises, counter hybrid threats, and reinforce strategic security and support for Euro-Atlantic integration.” It was emphasized that the declaration “is open to other countries” and that Bulgaria had been invited to join the initiative.
The Macedonian public also reacted to this declaration, largely echoing the Serbian responses to the agreement between the three countries.
To gain a better understanding of what this declaration entails, we spoke with Prof. Dr. Oliver Andonov, who teaches at the Department of Security and Crisis Management at the Military Academy. Among other subjects, he teaches Tactics of Peace Operations, National Security, and Methodology with Infantry Armament.
XHABIR DERALLA / CIVIL MEDIA: Professor Andonov, we see that we have a mini alliance forming in the region, Croatia, Albania and Kosovo are entering a mini alliance within the framework of NATO. How would you comment on this? What does this mean?
OLIVER ANDONOV: First of all, there is no need, so to speak, of a panicked commentary on such an alliance. NATO has a practice of forming mini alliances. We have, for example, the Mediterranean group within NATO. We have the Weimar Triangle within NATO, then the Scandinavian countries with Great Britain within NATO, and that is a desired activity of NATO, where through local, or regional connections, NATO’s defense capability s strengthened. When I talk about defense capability and resilience, together with defense, I mean strengthening not only the military capacities, but also the dedicated industry. Meaning, the military industry, the economic capacities of the NATO member states. And it’s not at all strange, though I know that many are surely wondering why Kosovo when it’s not a NATO member state.
CIVIL MEDIA: That was my next question actually.
ANDONOV: I see it more with historical experience. You remember that in, I think, in 1951, don’t take my word for it exactly when, there was an agreement between the then Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey for mutual defense. And Greece and Turkey were NATO member states. That means that Macedonia indirectly, I apologize again, the then Yugoslavia indirectly entered into an alliance with NATO. In fact, what it’s about now if we look at Kosovo. We have that experience as well. In fact, Kosovo doesn’t have its own army and on the territory of Kosovo there are NATO forces. That is KFOR, right. Through the NATO forces that are in Kosovo, they formally and legally gain the opportunity with the consent of the NATO forces, with the consent of the Kosovo government, they gain the opportunity to act within NATO as well, not only within the framework of KFOR, because of course NATO member states provide NATO forces in Kosovo. I have to mention that these are not peacekeeping forces, but NATO forces in Kosovo.
CIVIL MEDIA: So, NATO forces in Kosovo.
ANDONOV: NATO military forces. EULEX is something else.
CIVIL MEDIA: And that is where the logic comes from. Well, we heard that the Croatian side said that it was an open initiative, that all NATO member states from the region are welcome to join this initiative. However, we don’t see our country, North Macedonia is not in this mini alliance of NATO. How do you interpret this? Why isn’t Macedonia in this alliance?
ANDONOV: First, you should know that certainly the initiative is not exclusively a Croatian-Albanian initiative. That initiative has been thought out within NATO. Secondly, thought out within the framework of NATO, we will have expansion of that alliance regionally, and we will also have the support of that mini alliance itself, so to call it. Support from associated members. And that surely will be one of the larger European countries or stronger NATO countries, which will give impetus to such an alliance.
Now the question addressed to me is perhaps not the most appropriate one for me to give an answer as to why we don’t see Macedonia, that is a question that you should ask the Ministry of Defense or the Prime Minister’s Office or the President of the country. Those are the authorities that should decide when Macedonia would join such a mini alliance within NATO, a regional alliance, and in addition to the political, above all, to consider also the military aspects of joining according to the new risks and threats, the threats that are taking place in the region. But what we can confirm with certainty is that there will be a tendency and perhaps even a real expansion of this regional alliance to other countries in the region. I wouldn’t exclude perhaps Montenegro that maybe should be asked.
CIVIL MEDIA: Nevertheless, should North Macedonia be part of such an alliance or not?
ANDONOV: My personal position is that Macedonia should be part of regional alliances within the framework of NATO, and I am convinced that this question will be put to our authorities in politics and defense, and as to what the answer will be remains with them. However, my view, I will repeat once again, is that we should be in several aspects, first of all, for regional strengthening of security, building resilience and not only the military, but also political and economic connectivity. That is why you will have a question not only directed at Macedonia, but also at other countries in the region.
CIVIL MEDIA: We will consider this as prognosis and of course we will ask the questions.
ANDONOV: Well, I think that even NATO will put the issues to individual governments. Not only the initiators of the alliances.
CIVIL MEDIA: Certainly, the public has the right to know and we will put that question to the institutions you mentioned.
ANDONOV: The public has to know, because this part of defense and building resilience within NATO concerns Macedonia as a state and affects the Macedonian public. We have to know why something is being done, for what reason it will all be done. But basically, it should be in our interest, in the interest of the defense of Macedonia and building resilience in the direction of the new risks and threats that we can expect, because you see, the world has been quite a turbulent place to live in the last few months.
Xhabir Deralla
Camera, video editing: Arian Mehmeti
Transcripts, translation: Natasha Cvetkovska
