Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced plans to establish the nation’s first state-owned ammunition factory and drone design laboratory during a cabinet session on Wednesday. This initiative aims to strengthen Kosovo’s defense industry amid rising tensions with neighboring Serbia.
An inter-ministerial commission, chaired by Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci, will oversee the project, which follows a feasibility study conducted by Turkish state producers. Maqedonci highlighted the global demand for ammunition and weapons due to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Kurti stressed the importance of a self-sustaining defense industry, citing the rapid expansion of Kosovo’s military capabilities. “A military that has been armed so much in such a short time as ours needs to ensure and guarantee full operational capability and overall sustainability,” he stated.
Since taking office in 2021, Kurti has significantly increased the defense budget. Notable acquisitions include Turkish Bayraktar drones in 2023 and U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles approved earlier this year in a $75 million deal.
While Kosovo’s military remains lightly armed, NATO continues to maintain a peacekeeping force of over 4,000 troops in the region, particularly in the north, which has experienced heightened ethnic tensions. Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, aligns its defense policies with NATO and aspires to join the alliance, despite four NATO members not recognizing its sovereignty.
