The possibility of expanding the defense cooperation platform between Albania, Croatia and Kosovo with Bulgaria and Slovenia could change the security balance in the Balkans, but it still remains a political perspective and not a formalized development. This is the conclusion of an analysis published by the Italian Institute for International Relations (IARI), which examines the development of the platform created by the Joint Declaration on Defense Cooperation, signed in Tirana on March 18, 2025. According to the analysis, the inclusion of Bulgaria would add a strategic dimension to the initiative towards NATO’s eastern flank and the Black Sea region, while Slovenia would strengthen the connection with the northern Adriatic and bring greater diplomatic weight within the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance.
However, the author emphasizes that it is necessary to distinguish between political possibilities and institutional reality. “Neither Bulgaria nor Slovenia are co-signatories of the Tirana Declaration,” the analysis states, underlining that there is no formal accession process or an official decision to expand the platform. According to the analysis, a possible expansion would increase capacities for joint exercises, military coordination, cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructures, creating a broader network of cooperation in Southeast Europe.
Bulgaria would bring a more direct connection to the Black Sea region and NATO’s eastern border, while Slovenia would serve as a bridge to Central Europe and Euro-Atlantic structures. The analysis estimates that this would increase the “network weight” of the platform, making it more important in terms of regional interoperability and coordination. The author also warns that any expansion should avoid the perception of creating a new bloc against Serbia or Russia. According to the analysis, the platform should remain focused on practical cooperation in defense, resistance to hybrid threats, infrastructure protection and technical coordination, without becoming an instrument of geopolitical rivalries in the Balkans.
In conclusion, the analysis emphasizes that even in the event of enlargement, the Albania-Croatia-Kosovo platform cannot replace the role of NATO or the KFOR mission in Kosovo. Long-term stability in the region, according to the author, will continue to depend on the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, while minilateral cooperation can only serve as an additional instrument for increasing coordination and resistance to security challenges. In this context, Bulgaria and Slovenia are seen as potential partners that could give the platform more political and strategic weight, but any enlargement would require official decisions and concrete cooperation projects, not just political declarations.