What are the challenges of Kosovo's NATO membership?

“Kosovo in NATO” -- a slogan calling for faster Kosovo membership in the Atlantic Alliance -- has spread to social networks since Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which has also sparked concerns about the possibility of destabilising the Western Balkan region.

Top Kosovo authorities and political parties are looking to international factors to support Kosovo in accelerating its NATO membership.

On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tatip Erdogan, following a meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, said Turkey would take steps, as in the case of recognition as well as for Kosovo's NATO membership process.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said last night that Serbia's Foreign Ministry has prepared a protest note following Turkish president's remarks.

About 3 thousand and 800 KFOR troops currently care for security in Kosovo.

But what are the criteria for NATO membership?

NATO spokeswoman Daniele Riggio said the criteria for NATO membership are included in Article 10 of the Washington Treaty, stressing that the <x0-partals, with unanimous agreements, can invite any other European state that is able to advance the principles of this Treaty and contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to membership in this Trakta<x>.

But what are Kosovo's obstacles to NATO membership?

The greatest “Gengesa is the fact that NATO still has a neutral approach if not even having formal reports concerning co-operation with Kosovo, the fact that four NATO states still do not recognise Kosovo and that to be a member of NATO should necessarily be behind full consensus, at least not have votes against”, says the Voice of America, director of the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies, Mentor Vrajolli.

Vrajolli says there is recently a tendency for Russia through its allies in the Western Balkans to promote destabilisation.

“NATO should be alert and clear the way for these other countries, which are not NATO members, to be part of NATO in order to ensure that these necessary trends result in desired tendencies”, he said.

The Kosovo government founded on Tuesday “Security Fund” for the acceptance of diaspora donations and contributions and Kosovo citizens, to be used in the field of state defence and security, security infrastructure and natural disaster management.

Vrajolli says this initiative is good, but according to him a better form for strengthening the defence sector is through co-operation with international partners.

“has partners who are interested in strengthening local structures because Ukraine is showing that it is more economic for international intervention if it gives support to local forces than to expect the international community to intervene”, he said.

Authorities in Kosovo say they are co-operating with Western allies to oppose Russia's aggression in Ukraine and face possible influences in the Balkan region. / VoA/