Albania’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Blerina Abrazhda, said that Kosovo should join NATO unconditionally, emphasizing that Albania will always support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the state of Kosovo.
According to her, despite the developments in the north of the country, Kosovo’s statehood and sovereignty cannot be called into question.
She emphasized that the global geopolitical situation is more complex than ever before, underlining the importance of a clear positioning in the Euro-Atlantic bloc.
“The geopolitical situation is complicated everywhere in the world, it is not just our region. Perhaps let’s say in the last 20-30 years there has been no more complex situation than the one we are in today, despite the wars in the Balkans. The network of geopolitical problems that we have today has expanded greatly. Albania at all levels of leadership, from the Prime Minister to all other levels, is forever the biggest supporter of Kosovo. First of all, we support Kosovo’s entry into NATO and this is: Kosovo must definitely enter NATO. There is no doubt about our support, which will always continue unsparingly. There is no international forum, where Prime Minister Rama, Minister Peleshi, as well as myself and also the Minister of Foreign Affairs who participate, does not mention Kosovo’s membership in NATO and the advancement of everything for Kosovo to enter international mechanisms”, Abrazhda said in an interview for Ekonomia Online.
She described Kosovo as a successful NATO project and an example of the organization’s achievements in the region. Abrazhda clarifies that the NATO membership process is difficult due to geopolitical factors. She emphasized that Albania’s support for Kosovo is not simply fraternal, but state and strategic support.
“That Kosovo should join NATO must be a must, regardless of what is happening in the north of Kosovo or not. Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state in a region where it supports Euro-Atlantic integration, in a region where Kosovo is the most successful NATO project, at least since the formation of NATO. It is one of the biggest missions that NATO has today. It must definitely join NATO. It has an armed force, which is complete, it has sovereignty as a state, it has the Constitution, it has all the elements to enter. Of course, the membership mechanisms are a very high political level complicated for various geopolitical reasons. Support will not be lacking, but Kosovo must never forget that Albania’s support for Kosovo is not only fraternal support, but it is also the support of Albania as a member of NATO,” she said.
The Deputy Minister also mentioned the international support that Albania has mobilized for Kosovo.
“With our support, there is a group of 32 states that will support Kosovo forever and always. There is no turning back on the Kosovo issue, this should be clear. What other states do and how they organize themselves are perhaps their geopolitical mistakes, perhaps their strategies that they think will be more successful, but given how the world today is geopolitically divided into two different camps, we as Albanians, both in Albania and in Kosovo, are in the right camp,” said Abrazhda.