Montenegro reacts to Kosovo military agreement- Albania-Croatia: We were unaware.

Montenegro was not invited to join the Defence Field Co-operation Declaration signed in Tirana on March 18th by the defence ministers of Croatia, Albania and Kosovo.

As Montenegro's Ministry of Defence for Radio Free Europe (RSE) in the Serbian-Croat language said, they “are unaware” that Montenegro has offered to sign the Declaration.

The declaration refers to strengthening defence co-operation for the preservation of peace, including the defence industry, the move to counter hybrid threats and support for Euro-Atlantic integration, the Croatian Defence Ministry announced.

Along with the border with the three countries, Montenegro is a NATO member, as is Croatia and Albania.

The signatories of the Declaration announced that the possibility of membership of other members is open.

On the Question of Radio Free Europe If they will join the Declaration, Montenegro's Defence Ministry has not responded directly.

In their response they declared they would continue to strengthen co-operation with all countries in the region, promoting the Euro-Atlantic vision of the Western Balkans.

“As a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, we highlight the role of NATO forces in Kosovo (KFOR), as an important factor contributing to the preservation of a stable and secure environment, and in whose mandate Montenegro also contributes, which will continue to be so in the coming period”, says the Ministry's announcement.

Croatia's Defence Ministry has not even answered the question of Montenegro's possible accession to this military agreement. There has been no comment from NATO.

Samardzic: It was unrealistic to expect Croatia to invite Montenegro into this situation

“Croatia was not expected in this situation to invite Montenegro to join the agreement, which does not mean that this will not happen if bilateral relations improve”, former Montenegro Army Chief General Staff Dragan Samardzic told Radio Free Europe.

Relations between Croatia and Montenegro deteriorated following the adoption of the Jasenovac Resolution in the Montenegrin Parliament in June 2024.

A month later, Croatia declared persons non grata Andrija Mandiqi, the president of the Montenegrin Parliament, Milan Knezevic, MP and Alexa Beciciqi, of what they said were <x0 systemic actions to undermine good neighbourly relations with Croatia”.

In December 2024, Croatia blocked the chapter's closure in Montenegro's accession negotiations with the EU, which relates to foreign security and defence policy.

Even if it was invited to join the Declaration, Samardzic believes the Montenegrin government would not have the political power to respond positively.

The current Montenegrin government is balancing the Euro-Atlantic road and internal political disputes, which may affect its stance on such initiatives”, Samardzic says.

The Montenegrin government consists of two vice-presidents and three ministers from the recently disbanded pro-Russian Democratic Front (DF), which does not recognise Kosovo's independence and opposes Montenegro's NATO membership.

The multi-year-old leader of Montenegro's Democratic Party, Andrija Majur, is chairman of the Montenegrin Parliament.

They have been part of the ruling majority since 2020, when Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists collapsed, during whose rule Montenegro was admitted to NATO. / REL/ Periscopi/

” Albania -Croatia hinders the development of Serbia's pro-Russian policy in the region”