KCSS Hosts Roundtable on Kosovo’s Relations with NATO

Prishtina, July 17, 2025 — The Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) held a roundtable to discuss practical steps for advancing Kosovo’s relations with NATO. Held under Chatham House rules, the event brought together security experts, government officials, and civil society actors.

The discussion centered around the findings of the KCSS paper “Exploring Options for Advancing Kosovo–NATO Relations”, co-authored by Dr. Ramadan Ilazi and Jeta Loshaj, which proposes a roadmap to overcome political and institutional barriers that currently limit Kosovo’s NATO integration.

Opening remarks were delivered by Mentor Vrajolli, Executive Director of KCSS, and Colonel Ahmet Ajeti from the Ministry of Defense. Impulse contributions followed from Dr. Lulzim Peci, Director of KIPRED, and Dr. Ilazi, who argued for more proactive engagement from both Kosovo and NATO.

Speakers agreed that while full NATO membership remains out of reach due to the non-recognition of Kosovo by four member states, there is room to deepen cooperation through a tailored approach. One of the main proposals was a Kosovo Enhanced Cooperation Initiative (KECI)—a NATO-only framework that would allow for closer coordination on defense reform, cybersecurity, public diplomacy, and interoperability, without requiring full recognition.

Participants also emphasized Kosovo’s potential to contribute more actively to NATO-led efforts. Enhancing internal coordination and building informal ties with non-recognizing states were identified as essential to any future progress.

Despite structural challenges, there was broad agreement that Kosovo's strong public and political support for NATO should not go unnoticed. The recent visit of the North Atlantic Council and Kosovo’s elevation to associate member status in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly were seen as opportunities to build on.

Concluding the roundtable, participants stressed the need for Kosovo to act as a reliable and constructive partner, showing it can contribute to Euro-Atlantic security today, even before membership becomes a reality. As one official noted during the discussion: “If there is a will, there is a way.”