The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo has issued a statement following reports in the media that the country has not been invited to the next NATO Summit to be held in Ankara.
In its clarification, the Ministry emphasizes that Kosovo does not participate in NATO summits as a participating state, as it is not a member of the Alliance and is not currently part of the Partnership for Peace Program (PfP).
“To clarify the misunderstandings and inaccuracies raised by some portals, we emphasize that the Republic of Kosovo does not participate in the NATO Summits as a participating state, as it is not a member state of the Alliance and is not currently part of the Partnership for Peace Program (PfP).
NATO summits are meetings of the heads of state and government of the 32 member countries of the Alliance. In special cases, depending on the agenda of the summit, NATO partners may also receive an invitation.
At the summit to be held in Ankara, in addition to the member countries, NATO partners within the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) – Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand – as well as Ukraine, as a NATO partner, have accepted the invitation.“, announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to the member countries, NATO partners within the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) – Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand – as well as Ukraine, as a NATO partner, have accepted invitations to the Ankara summit. The Ministry underlines that the Republic of Kosovo has not yet participated in any NATO Summit as a participating state. The only participation so far has been within the “Women, Peace and Security” activity, organized by the US State Department on the sidelines of a previous summit.
“This activity was a special event, organized in parallel with the summit, and did not constitute participation in the NATO Summit itself”, explains the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the end of the statement, Kosovo reiterates its commitment to deepening cooperation with NATO and member states, as well as the strategic aspiration for full membership in the Alliance. Kosovo has developed practical cooperation with NATO since the post-war of 1999, where the Kosovo Security Forces (KSF) participate in several training programs and joint exercises, but remains outside the formal structures of the Alliance due to its international status.
