Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that, if he is re-elected as head of the government, more than one billion euros will be allocated from the budget for the Kosovo Security Force.
At a government session, where he spoke about the achievements of his four-year term, Kurti assessed that "extraordinary results" had been achieved.
"The military budget has tripled, training abroad has quadrupled, investments in weapons have increased manifold, including the Bayraktar combat drones and an agreement to build an ammunition factory," Kurti said.
He underlined that "over a billion euros will be allocated for the army during the new mandate," that an ammunition factory will be built, and that military drones 'Made in Kosovo' will be produced.
In 2024, the budget for the Kosovo Ministry of Defense amounted to 153 million euros, while 207,8 million is planned for this year.
Kosovo began the process of opening an ammunition factory in November 2024 and signed an ammunition contract with a manufacturer in Turkey – a country from which Kosovo has been purchasing drones for its military. The government also announced that there will be a laboratory for designing unmanned aerial vehicles, known as drones.
In addition to its efforts to produce its own weapons and ammunition, Kosovo is currently acquiring various weapons. The process of purchasing over 200 Javelin air defense systems from the United States is underway. The Javelin is known for its ability to operate against armored vehicles, and Kosovo will allocate 75 million dollars for their purchase.
Kurti stated at the government meeting that Kosovo plans to purchase American "Black Hawk" helicopters for the needs of the Kosovo Security Forces.
Kosovo has taken several steps in recent weeks to improve its defense and security. To that end, it approved an initiative to conclude a comprehensive agreement to deepen cooperation with the United States in the field of defense and security, and signed a declaration on deepening cooperation in the field of defense and security with the countries in the region that are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Albania and Croatia.
The agreement with the US, according to the government, will help Kosovo build strategic military capacities, while the declaration on cooperation with Albania and Croatia should "contribute to peace in the region."
Official Belgrade has criticized these efforts by Kosovo to strengthen the defense and arms industry.
Serbia sees the declaration of cooperation with Albania and Croatia as a step that "undermines regional stability" and a "provocation".
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Incidentally, Kurti's announcements regarding the increase in the defense budget come at a time when the formation of the Government and new institutions is expected after the parliamentary elections held on February 9th.
Albin Kurti's Self-Determination Movement won the most votes, but not enough to form a government on its own. However, Kurti said that the government would be formed with minority non-Serb communities.
The largest Albanian opposition parties state that they will not enter into a coalition with the Self-Determination Movement.
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