TIRANA, December 15 – Former Prime Minister of Kosova Agim Çeku spoke about what he described as the country’s most important strategic issue, membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He presented a military and political perspective based on his experience.

Earlier, Çeku played a key role in transforming the Kosova Liberation Army into the Kosova Protection Corps. Later, the process continued with the creation of the Kosova Security Force.

In an interview with KosovaPress, he said the public often misunderstood the accession process. According to him, the alliance admitted the state, not only the army.

Meanwhile, he said the Kosova Security Force already met professional standards. He added that it exceeded the level of several former communist countries at the time they joined the alliance.

However, Çeku said the main obstacle remained political. He stressed that the problem did not lie with soldiers.

At the same time, he criticized recent foreign policy. He described it as passive, unconvincing, and unreliable.

According to him, a state seeking membership needed to act as a credible partner. He also said it needed strong allies and regional stability.

Later, he said foreign policy should have built new alliances. He stated that this had not happened.

As a result, he said current diplomacy weakened relations with the United States and European powers. He added that Kosova remained isolated amid rising geopolitical risks.

Çeku also recalled that the path toward the alliance was set in 1999. He said this goal reflected a shared vision from the beginning.

In addition, he accused the current government of endangering the process through amateur diplomatic actions. He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have been led by experienced diplomats. He added that it should not have served domestic electoral interests.

Finally, Çeku said the Alliance for the Future of Kosova and Ramush Haradinaj presented the most concrete plan for the process. He stated that their governance focused on effective diplomacy aimed at leading Kosova into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

/a.p./