Montenegro does not see the Declaration on Strengthening Defense Cooperation, signed a few days ago by Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo, as having a negative impact on its foreign policy path, nor can it be an antithesis or counterpart to the NATO alliance, at the core of which is collective defense.
This was told to ''Vijesti'' by the Ministry of Defense yesterday, stating that they were not aware that the state was offered to sign that document.
"Montenegro, as a NATO member and EU candidate that advocates for strengthening good neighborly relations and regional cooperation, does not see a negative impact of this declaration on its foreign policy path, nor on the individual bilateral cooperation we have with neighboring countries," the ministry said. Dragan Krapović (Democrats), answering the questions - what does the military agreement concluded by its neighbors mean for Montenegro, whether it will affect it and if so - how.
The Ministry says that they remain committed to strengthening cooperation with all countries in the region, "promoting the European and Euro-Atlantic vision of the Western Balkans, as the best guarantor of long-term stability."
Croatia, Albania and Kosovo signed the agreement on Tuesday (March 18th) in Tirana, during a visit by the Croatian defence minister. Ivan Anušić The declaration, as announced by the Croatian Ministry of Defense, emphasizes the importance of "a joint response to security challenges, hybrid threats and other risks that could jeopardize the stability of the region."
"The defense ministers of these countries confirmed their readiness and interest in preserving stability in Southeast Europe, especially when it comes to Kosovo," said the Croatian ministry, adding that the possibility of other member states joining the declaration is open.
Regional media reported that the agreement regulates cooperation in the field of defense, joint military operations and joint training. Croatian Defense Minister Anušić said after initialing the document that "the new geopolitical situation requires the creation of new and strengthening of existing alliances," while his Kosovo counterpart Ejup Macedonians stated that "the purpose of this cooperation is not to threaten anyone", but rather that it is "a message to those who intend to endanger the region, to show them that we are together and that we will not allow anyone to destabilize the region".
Grahovac: Serbia is not threatened
The President of Serbia reacted to this move Aleksandar Vučić, stating that Albania and Croatia, by signing a memorandum on defense cooperation with Kosovo, “have opened an arms race in the region.”
"This is a difficult situation for us, but we have understood their message. And we will preserve our country, deter them and always successfully defend it from any potential aggressor, even one this powerful," Vučić told reporters in Brussels the day before yesterday (March 19), after a meeting with the NATO Secretary General. Markom Ruteom.
He assessed that the memorandum represented a "violation of the subregional agreement (on arms control)" and stated that he was convinced "that NATO was not informed about it."
Anušić responded to Vučić by saying that "the time has long passed when Zagreb asked Belgrade what it would do and how."
"We have been an independent state for 35 years, we have gone through five years of aggression and politics that represented such a narrative," he wrote on the "Iks" network.
A retired general Blagoje Grahovac, told "Vijesti" that the declaration by Croatia, Albania and Kosovo does not threaten Serbia in any way, and that that country has the right, under the Agreement on Subregional Arms Control, to "report its intention to carry out arms control in any country that is a signatory to that agreement."
The agreement was signed in 1996 in Florence by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) (Montenegro has been a full member of the agreement since 2007) with the aim of achieving a balanced and stable level of armed forces. The document defines numerical limitations in five categories of conventional weapons (tanks, artillery calibre greater than 75mm, armoured fighting vehicles, combat aircraft and attack helicopters) that the signatory countries have at their disposal. According to the agreement, each party has "the right to inspect the arms limited by this agreement intended for export, without the right of refusal, at the point of export".
Radić: Are alliances made for conflicts?
Military analyst from Belgrade Aleksandar Radić, assesses that the purpose of the agreement signed on Tuesday in Tirana is to strengthen Croatia's positioning towards Serbia.
"We in the Balkans have remained prisoners of a value system in which the forces of Serbs and Croats are constantly being weighed. Croatia perceives the growth of its importance within NATO, but also its regional importance - through cooperation with those forces that will reduce Serbia's potential or at least annoy it... At first glance, the agreement seems like an unusual move by Croatia, but it makes sense from the point of view of building a stronger position for Croatia in the region, and towards Serbia," he told "Vijesti".
Radić states that it is not unusual for NATO members to form alliances like this, that there are examples of special cooperation, the formation of joint commands and units, but, he notes - between countries "between which there is a different context, not this one, which can lead to doubts about goodwill."
When, he says, France and Germany found themselves within a joint command, it was not questioned, but "this type of cooperation provokes reaction and questioning."
"Croatia and Albania have the right to sign the agreements they want, they can cooperate, they are members of NATO, that is not in dispute. But their motivation is in dispute... The agreement itself is not problematic, and you can justify it with phrases that it is cooperation between allied countries, that it is not directed against anyone. But it looks quite strange when this is mapped out and the message behind the text is clear. Why was Montenegro skipped in the geographical area? Well, because it does not fit into that scenario... And that actually calls into question the motivation behind the agreement," claims Radić, noting that the question is whether "alliances for conflicts" are being created in the Balkans.
Ministry: NATO's role is crucial
Croatia and Albania are members of NATO, Kosovo is not, but KFOR troops are stationed on its territory - an international peacekeeping force led by the Alliance. Therefore, the question arises - what is the purpose of a military agreement if Zagreb and Tirana are part of NATO, and Pristina has long been in its orbit, and whether this could mean a weakening of trust in the Alliance.
Grahovac does not believe that the military agreement indicates a weakening of trust.
"This is strengthening trust in NATO, precisely because two of its members are here," said Grahovac, adding that it would be wise for Montenegro to have agreements with as many countries in the region as possible.
The Ministry of Defense also assesses that the declaration does not indicate a weakening of trust in the NATO alliance, since, as they said, the role of the Alliance, especially in the current security context, is crucial. They emphasize the role of KFOR in Kosovo, as an important factor "which contributes to maintaining a stable and secure environment, and whose mandate Montenegro also contributes to, 'which will be the case in the coming period'". They state that NATO does not limit the possibility of any ally to conclude agreements and sign declarations on cooperation with other countries that are not members of the Alliance.
Croatian Minister Anušić said that they are aware of “the risks in Southeast Europe, especially in the context of Ukraine,” and that they have therefore decided to strengthen cooperation. He also announced that there are “other partners from NATO and the EU” who are interested in joining this initiative.
The declaration, among other things, includes the promotion of defense capabilities and cooperation between defense industries, strengthening interoperability through education, training, exercises...
Radić: Vučić is making irrelevant arguments
Aleksandar Radić claims that Vučić's claim that the document by Croatia, Albania and Kosovo violates the Agreement on Sub-regional Arms Control is unfounded. He said that he thinks Vučić is "still in shock" from the protest against the local authorities, held in Belgrade late last week, that he has failed to "de-escalate the situation" and that he is therefore "raising arguments that are not relevant."
The "Vijesti" interlocutor states that, from Belgrade's perspective, there are reasons for concern about the agreement signed in Tirana, that there is reason to ask Croatia why it is doing this, that there is reason to analyze it openly and critically, but he says that Vučić referred to "something that is very awkward."
He explains that the 1996 agreement was signed by countries that were at war with each other - FRY, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, that the document recognized the Army of Republika Srpska and the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that it set limits on weapons in five categories.
"How many fighter jets, attack helicopters, tanks, armored fighting vehicles and artillery with a caliber greater than 75mm can you have? That has nothing to do with this agreement. In the meantime, that agreement has proven to be effective, it has been implemented, and no one has the money to reach those limits (prescribed by the document). When Montenegro became independent in 2006, Serbia and Montenegro divided their quota, Kosovo does not have its own because it is not recognized through those documents, and Albania is not part of that document," Radić notes.
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