Balkan states in the armor race: Serbia sees red lines exceeded!
Balkan states in the armor race: Serbia sees red lines exceeded!
The focus is on the Balkan states region in a dramatic turn of events because the countries of Kosovo, Albania and Croatia want to expand their military cooperation. A recently signed agreement serves to strengthen interoperability and cooperation in the armaments industry. This development has triggered outrage in Serbia: President Aleksandar Vučić described the agreement as an "open provocation" and warned of a possible upgrade race in the region. Serbia's Foreign Ministry criticized the Agreement as a dangerous precedent and demanded an explanation of why it was excluded from important discussions about collective security, as krone.at reported.In the shadow of these military tensions, the efforts to improve relationships between Serbia and Kosovo, supported by the EU. According to the EU foreign commissioner Josep Borrell, the heads of government of both countries have agreed to implement an already negotiated agreement. This should enable Serbia to recognize Kosovo's own state without legitimizing it under international law. In a complicated exchange, Serbia could accept the recognition of passports and other documents of Kosovo, while in return Kosovo is supposed to secure the rights of the Serbian minority within its limits. This information was provided by Tageschau.de
reactions and challenges
Reactions to the military cooperation between Kosovo, Albania and Croatia are split in Serbia. The Croatian Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić showed that Croatia did not need Belgrade's approval to say goodbye to this agreement. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković emphasized that the cooperation does not have to be approved by Serbia or NATO, which indicates the changing political landscape in the region. At the same time, there is further pressure on Vučić and his Kosovar counterpart Albin Kurti to normalize relationships with the newly planned agreement. However, both face domestic pressure: Serbian nationalists demand a tough line against Kosovo, while in Kosovo there are fears that concessions could endanger state integrity.
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| Ort | Ohrid, Nordmazedonien |
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