By General Piro Ahmetaj
Of course, I have followed with increased responsibility, the next wave of President Aleksandar Vučić, after the signing of the military agreement between the Republic of Croatia, Kosovo and Albania. Unable to respond separately to the media interest at home and abroad, below you will find a joint response on the source of Mr. Vučič’s fake panic and delusional threats, as well as recommendations for peace and the Euro-Atlantic future of the peoples of the Western Balkans.
Nothing new has happened! Terrified by the oscillations that still thunder from the “Western bombs on Milošević’s bunker 26 years ago”; from the Balkan paranoia of perpetuating power and terrified by the mass revolts that occupied Belgrade two weeks ago, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučič demonstrated: “Belgrade’s revolt against an arms race in the region” referring to the agreement signed by the 3 Defense Ministers respectively in Tirana on March 18.
It is not the first time (there have been dozens in the last 26 years since the liberation of Kosovo by the USA/NATO) and certainly it will not be the last. To illustrate the recycling of the next nonsense, I am bringing to your attention His confusion in January 2024 when: “DASH/US confirmed the sale of 246 Javelin missiles worth $75 million to the Kosovo Security Forces, “only” to improve Kosovo’s defense capabilities and interoperability with NATO”!
Expressing support and compliments to the 3 undersigned ministers, in the capacity of an expert on SK, Regional and USA/NATO issues (i.e. not patriotic revolts), I am now presenting assessments, responses and strategic advice to Mr. Vučič’s feigned panic.
First, I advise Vučič to restrain himself, not to continue playing either the spoiled victim, the enraged brave or the moderate quixote by equating himself with Trump in the Balkans. In fact, “the role of victim, i.e. the losing/responsible party for crimes against humanity, has not been exercised badly and Serbia has benefited quite a bit until 2014”! But enough is enough!
Secondly, I do not find any point, line or letter of the agreement in question, as there is no threatening or hostile intent towards the sovereignty and interests of Serbia. On the contrary, this agreement is intended ONLY to strengthen cooperation between the 3 countries for: “promoting defense capabilities and cooperation between military industries, strengthening interoperability through education, training and exercises, countering hybrid threats, and supporting Euro-Atlantic integration”, including of course Kosovo (since this infuriates Belgrade) from any potential threat, which unfortunately remains self-identified by Serbia. Having said this, although diplomatically harsh, I find the response of the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, which I am quoting clear: “There is no hostile nature, and there is no need to ask anyone, neither Serbia nor NATO”.
Thirdly, as for the context of the complaint in Brussels: “that NATO was not informed about this”, I find it to be professional delirium of Mr. Vučić (or like all autocrats, he has the disease of omniscience), as an expert with more than modest experience in NATO, confirms that regional initiatives, agreements and projects are encouraged by NATO’s Strategic Concept but also imposed by President Trump’s pragmatic approach. As an example, he mentions the military agreements between the 3 Baltic countries; the 3 Nordic countries, the 7 Visegrad countries, which despite all being NATO members, have signed similar cooperation agreements!
Fourth, before making a fuss about/in NATO, official Belgrade will have to clarify some WHY (?) for the agreements of: “military cooperation (Mig-29, Missiles, Tanks) with Russia (?); production of missiles & drones with China (?); purchase of 12 latest generation “Rafalo” aircraft with France (?), etc.! Meanwhile, all of these are offensive/killer weapons that not only threaten the territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo but also blow up the geopolitical status-quo, investment and interests of the USA, NATO and EU for peace, stability and the Euro-Atlantic agenda of the 6 countries of the Western Balkans.
Even more practically, it will have to be officially confirmed to the USA/NATO/EU but also to the Serbian people, why Belgrade spends over €1.5 billion per year (i.e. more than Croatia, the Republic of Serbia and Kosovo combined), for arming to the teeth (with Tanks, Mig-29, Mi-35 combat helicopter, Pantsir-s missile, FK-3, etc.) (?); when it is known that Serbia has ZERO, capacity or ability to challenge the military power of the USA/NATO/UK.
Sixth, as for the efforts to test the cohesion between the 32 NATO countries, including the latest attempt at military cooperation with Hungary, from an expert capacity I guarantee that this too will fail with shame before Vucic has left power. This is because in this case (to add fuel to the Balkans), Hungary will not be tolerated not only by the countries of the Region but also by President Trump, the UK, Germany and not only.
Seventh, I find President Vucic’s claim that “this memorandum violates the 1996 arms agreement signed in Florence between Croatia and the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (?!!)”, completely ridiculous, since the FRY (which also included Montenegro) has ended/capitulated along with all agreements in the field of defense and security. Having said that, it is Belgrade that, under the orchestration of Moscow, has violated both the agreement and billions of US dollars in investments for building mutual confidence measures in the Balkans (SCBM)!
Eighth, to the seven findings mentioned above, I would like to add 3 strategic pieces of advice to official Belgrade: (a) To give up the oscillations about: “new state borders in the region as well as military threats to the sovereignty of Kosovo”, which since 1999 has remained under the responsibility of KFOR/NATO; (b) To not waste money from the taxes of the Serbian people on modern armaments, since none of the 3 signatory countries, nor all three of us together, threaten Serbia militarily. On the contrary, arming Serbia to the teeth only serves the “struggle for the perpetuation of power in Belgrade, the interests of the Kremlin in the region, organized crime and ultra-nationalists not only in Serbia”; (c) The student revolts unmasked Mr. Vučić, as the only moderate factor despite the “extremist rivals in Belgrade and his attempts to drink from 5 mothers (Moscow, Brussels, Beijing, Paris and Washington)!
IN ADDITION, repeating the most sincere considerations towards the 3 defense ministers, I would advise Zagreb, Pristina and Tirana officials, that despite the “desperate squirms and delinquent threats of Belgrade”, to expand this agreement with the other 2 NATO countries in the region (Montenegro & North Macedonia), and beyond the “political abuse” they should materialize it with concrete projects such as air policing, civil emergencies, cyber security, to which none of our countries is immune and can never develop the capacities to defend themselves on their own.
As for Minister Mr. Vengu in particular, I not only publicly express well-deserved compliments for the crowning of this effort in Tirana, but I also encourage the Republic of Macedonia to initiate a strategic assessment (jointly with Croatia, Montenegro and the MV) about the threats to the region (similar to that of the PMR being developed by NATO) to request/present it at a special meeting of the NAC/Brussels. More specifically, this assessment should also consider concerns about Serbia’s arming to the teeth as well as the abuse of Russian interests in the region, etc., in a way that is approved by 32 countries (including France, Hungary, etc.), as a common directive where not only the positions of the member countries towards these threats are confirmed but also the official determination to strengthen cohesion and efforts for peace and the Euro-Atlantic integration agenda of the 6 Western Balkan countries.
While political factors, official actors and strategists/colleagues in Zagreb, Pristina, Tirana, Washington, Brussels, etc. I would suggest that the perspective of stability in the region and cooperation with Serbia should be preconditioned by the return of two Mutual Confidence Building Measures (CSBM), through which “Official Belgrade is imposed” that: (1) It will maintain the balance of offensive military power (weapons, such as Mig-29, Pantsir-S and FK-3 missiles, etc.) to the level that does not threaten territorial integrity; (2) It will not place military installations and activities (20 km air distance and 5 land distance), on the inter-state borders between the countries of the region.
On the other hand, I would fraternally advise the factors of official Pristina to: “recycle the feigned panic and Belgrade’s delusional threats towards Kosovo’s state borders”, in no way consider them as gifts, but as a high state responsibility to build a modern Kosovo, beyond the presence of NATO (which cannot be eternal), a place where citizens, regardless of ethnic, religious and political affiliations, feel equal before the law, as well as factoring in Kosovo’s role from a consumer to a contributor to peace, democratic stability and integration into NATO and the EU!
On the other hand, I would fraternally advise the factors of official Pristina that: “the recycling of the feigned panic and the delusional threats of Belgrade towards the state borders of Kosovo”, should by no means be considered as gifts, but as a high state responsibility to build a modern Kosovo, beyond the presence of NATO (which cannot be eternal), a place where citizens, regardless of their ethnic, religious and political affiliations, feel equal before the law, as well as factoring the role of Kosovo from a consumer to a contributor to peace, democratic stability and integration into NATO and the EU!
At the same time, I would re-advise the institutional factors in Tirana and Pristina, for vital national interests, to overcome the agenda/desires of politics for maintaining/taking power but to bow to state responsibilities by implementing the joint Platform: “2-Sovereign States 1-One Nation”, consulting and guaranteeing the USA and NATO that this “late approach/smart” does not threaten Serbia, but will contribute as a rational balance for long-term peace between the countries of the region.
On this occasion, I reconfirm that I remain even more committed to contributing with responsibility, humility and Euro-Atlantic experience to the protection and development of national interests as well as to strengthening the strategic partnership with the USA/NATO!
