Milkov: Serbia understandably concerned about military cooperation between Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo; Bulgaria will not be part of the pact

Journalist of the Bulgarian daily “24 Chasa” (24 Hours), Georgi Milkov, stated for Kosovo Online that Serbia is justifiably concerned about the military alliance between Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo, but that Bulgaria, despite announcements from Pristina, will not be part of that pact.

“The defense cooperation agreement between Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo can be seen as a natural step in seeking direction and solutions in the current chaos and instability in Europe and the world. Serbia is understandably concerned about such military cooperation, as it considers Kosovo its own territory. When Bulgaria is mentioned as a possible participant in this agreement, that concern is understandable. Albania and Croatia are NATO members, Bulgaria is too, so Serbia would find itself isolated. However, it must be said that reports of unofficial interest allegedly expressed by Bulgaria to join the declaration of Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo are false,” Milkov said.

He explained that Bulgaria is carefully analyzing the document signed on March 18 in Tirana by the defense ministers of Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo.

“Bulgaria received a copy of the text via a verbal note from the Albanian Embassy in Sofia on March 25. But the Bulgarian Foreign Minister already stated in parliament that Sofia was never at any point invited by the initiators of the document,” Milkov clarified.

He emphasized that every country in the Balkans has “its own perception of history, geopolitics, and security.”

“But the most important lessons from our shared history are that after centuries of rivalry and contradiction, we have finally understood that cooperation is a much better option than war. Today, however, the dynamics of geopolitical processes have reached an unprecedented speed. The security architecture is becoming increasingly unstable,” Milkov stressed.

He believes that Serbia, despite the trilateral declaration on military cooperation, should not worry about “peace and its integrity.”

“In my opinion, Serbia has no reason to worry about peace and its territorial integrity, as there is no indication that the countries involved in this new defense agreement, Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo, have any intention of territorial expansion. We should also take into account another possible alliance and military cooperation – that between Hungary and Serbia,” Milkov said.

He added that participation in any alliance must be balanced not only with the countries involved but also, as in this case, with the position of other neighboring countries that are not included.

“The goal is to avoid tensions that could threaten the peaceful coexistence of neighboring and well-meaning peoples,” he emphasized.

Milkov added that Croatia, Bulgaria, and Serbia are countries with very similar characteristics, including history, language, governance, tradition, and economy.

He emphasized that the countries of the Western Balkans must strive to preserve the spirit of good neighborliness and mutual respect.

“If this military pact serves as a reason for an open discussion about what the true interests of the peoples of the Balkans are, who have been neighbors for millennia, then this is a good step, including toward developing cooperation in other areas as well. Regardless of how events unfold in the foreign policies of Balkan countries, the goal must be to preserve the spirit of good neighborliness and mutual respect,” Milkov concluded.