Osmani: Hybrid Attacks pose real challenges to national stability

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has called on Thursday for strengthening Kosovo's defence capacities, and has estimated that hybrid attacks pose real challenges to national stability.

She has made these statements at a conference organised by the Defence Ministry on the topic of national stability.

The hybrid “Sulmets, including cyber, military, economic and intelligence combined operations, better say de-informative in this case, are real challenges to our national stability”, Osmani has said, calling for expert training and co-operation with strategic partners for capacity-building to ensure protection.

The development of the Kosovo Security Force, according to NATO's highest standards, remains our strategic and national priority”, Osmani has said, citing that investment in weapons, military personnel and their well-being is vital, just as investing in other security institutions.

It has also cited energy security as vital to national security.

Our “State should invest in improving critical infrastructure and developing a stable economy, with particular emphasis on energy security and protection of important systems”.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said Kosovo continues to co-ordinate all its efforts towards NATO membership.

We aim not only to take advantage of the alliances, but also to contribute to them”.

Defence Minister Ejup Macedonia mentioned that in addition to military sustainability, in the age of technological advancement, cyber resistance is a priority.

The cybersulms know no borders and can destabilise governments, economies, and critical infrastructure systems. Construction of secure networks and the capacity for rapid recovery should be a priority of any” strategy, he said.

Kosovo officials constantly mention they aim at country membership in this NATO, though aware that membership in this north-Atlantic alliance should precede Kosovo's involvement in the alliance's Partnership for Peace programme.

Partnership for Peace is a programme of NATO, aimed at building confidence between NATO member states and other states in Europe.

The United States has supported Kosovo's membership in this programme, though it has recalled that reconciliation of all member states is required for such a decision.

NATO forces have been present in Kosovo since June 1999, after the end of the war and the withdrawal of Serbian forces.

Kosovo borders three NATO member states -- Albania, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia.

In NATO ranks there are four states that still do not recognise Kosovo's independence: Greece, Spain, Romania and Slovakia.