Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has announced plans to establish the country's first state-owned ammunition factory and drone design lab. This initiative aims to bolster Kosovo's defence industry, as revealed by Kurti during a cabinet session on Wednesday.
Kurti outlined the formation of an inter-ministerial commission to oversee the development of these facilities, emphasizing the necessity for a self-sustaining defence industry to support a significant increase in weapons and arms for the military, driven by escalating tensions with Serbia. Kurti has consistently advocated for Kosovo to be prepared for any potential threats from Serbia, which continues to regard Kosovo as part of its territory.
The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of ensuring full operational capability and overall sustainability for a military 'that has been armed so much in such a short time as ours.' Ejup Maqedonci, the Defence Minister, will chair the commission, which has already received a feasibility report from state producers in Turkey and is finalizing the project. Maqedonci noted the global demand to replenish ammunition and weapons stocks, given the current security situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.
NATO maintains a peacekeeping force of over 4,000 personnel primarily in northern Kosovo, where the country has experienced its worst ethnic tensions since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008. Kosovo's armed forces are relatively light, but since Kurti took office in 2021, the defence budget has been increased. In July 2023, Kosovo acquired a batch of Turkish-made Bayraktar drones. Earlier this year, the US State Department approved the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Kosovo for an estimated $75 million.
Kosovo's defence policies align with NATO, and the country aims to join the alliance, despite the fact that four of its members do not recognize Kosovo as a state.
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