Photo: The signing ceremony of the Joint Declaration between Kosovo, Croatia and Albania.

A statement made by Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, on April 18, 2025, sparked reactions despite efforts by him and other officials to deny that he had claimed Bulgaria had “confirmed” it would join the regional military alliance with Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia.

Initially, Maqedonci had stated in an interviewwith “TRT Balkan” that: “Bulgaria will join this regional alliance, which already includes Croatia and Albania.”

“We have a confirmation from Bulgaria, which had previously discussed with the Croatian minister the possibility of joining this trilateral agreement. However, I firmly believe that other countries in the region as well, especially those that share common values with us and, of course, also common interests, because values alone are not enough, will join this agreement, or let’s say this declaration, which, I emphasize once again, always aims for peace, stability, and security,” Maqedonci had , had stated to TRT Balkan on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

His statement was widely interpreted as a signal of the expansion of the new regional military alliance with another NATO member. This message was amplified by other media outlets in Kosovo.

That same day, the Bulgarian government responded by categorically denying any participation in such an alliance.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister, Georg Georgiev, dismissed reports that Bulgaria had expressed interest in joining the Declaration on Strengthening Defense Cooperation between Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia.

In a written response addressed to Bulgarian MPs Djipo Djipov and Elisaveta Belobradova from the “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” group, which is available on the official website of the Bulgarian National Assembly, Georgiev emphasized that the information suggesting Bulgaria’s interest in joining this alliance is inaccurate.

“Bulgaria is aware of the initiative of Albania, Croatia and Kosovo and is carefully analysing the text of the Joint Declaration signed by the defence ministers of the three countries in Tirana on March 18, 2025. The public information suggesting that Bulgaria has expressed unofficial interest in joining the declaration is inaccurate, Georgiev explained.” the document states. The Foreign Ministry received an official copy of the signed document via a note verbale from the Embassy of Albania in Sofia on March 25. At no point has the Ministry, or the Bulgarian side, been approached or consulted in relation to the initiative by its proponents, nor has any official invitation to join been extended, said Georgiev.

The document further states that the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs received an official copy of the declaration through a note verbale from the Albanian Embassy on March 25, “but was neither approached or consulted in relation to the initiative by its proponents, nor has any official invitation to join been extended”

The statement also mentions that Albania’s Minister of Defense, Pirro Vengu, said in March that Bulgaria had shown interest in the initiative. “Additionally, the Minister of Defense of Kosovo emphasized that Bulgaria had expressed interest,” it reads.

Furthermore, Georgiev is quoted as saying that Bulgaria maintains excellent bilateral relations with each of the three countries—“two of which are NATO allies, and a Bulgarian military contingent is part of the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR), whose primary task is to ensure peace and stability.”

““The purpose of the declaration is to strengthen cooperation between the three countries and to create a framework for joint responses to security challenges, hybrid threats and other risks to regional stability. The document envisages enhanced cooperation between defence industries, greater interoperability through education, training and joint exercises, and full support for Euro-Atlantic integration,” is stated ”, according to the Croatian Defence Ministry’s website.

After Bulgaria’s reaction became public, Maqedonci attempted to clarify his position in another interview with “Kosovapress”.

““At no point did I say that I had direct contact with Bulgaria. It was the Croatian Prime Minister who had contact with Bulgaria. He gave an interview to Vecernji list on March 18, the same day we signed the trilateral agreement, where he says that (we have, let’s say, communication with Bulgaria regarding a possible accession to this trilateral agreement),” said Maqedonci.

However, this clarification has not been accompanied by any changes to his initial interview with TRT Balkan, where his original statement remains uncorrected.

In an attempt to respond to media outlets in Kosovo, a Defense Ministry official, Liridona Gashi, posted an additional comment on Facebook, referencing an interview Maqedonci had given to Croatian media.

“The statement of Minister Maqedonci to Croatian media was deliberately distorted, where he never explicitly stated that there is an agreement with Bulgaria to join the military alliance initially initiated by Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo. For TRT, Minister Maqedonci, just like the Croatian minister in Vecernji list, stated: ‘Three countries will be better prepared to face future challenges in Southeast Europe, and the possibility remains open for Bulgaria to join this trilateral military agreement as a fourth member,” she wrote.

Despite efforts to clarify the situation, the swift and contradictory institutional responses have caused confusion among the public and within diplomatic circles.

Maqedonci’s statement drew reactions from opposition representatives in Kosovo, who called it “irresponsibility at the highest level and a display of diplomatic and political amateurism that brings shame to the country.”

The Ministers of Defense of Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia signed a trilateral declaration for a military alliance on March 18 in Tirana.

The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in developing defense capabilities and the defense industry, increase interoperability through education, training, and exercises, counter hybrid threats, and enhance strategic resilience. It also offers full support for Euro-Atlantic integration and regional defense cooperation.

In Serbia, the agreement was met with concern and portrayed as a potential threat to their national and regional security. Media outlets, which also conveyed the official position of Belgrade, described the alliance as a “pact” between Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo directed against Serbian interests.

In a sensitive regional and geopolitical climate, statements by officials can be interpreted as part of broader strategic developments and may generate unnecessary concerns.

By involving Bulgaria in an alliance that was not previously coordinated, the statement made by Kosovo’s Minister may be perceived as provocative or unnecessary by NATO member states, potentially undermining efforts for sustainable regional cooperation.

Institutions and their representatives must have a clear public communication strategy and build credibility by ensuring that their statements are coordinated, transparent, and based on verified facts. Such misinformation gains immediate traction in the media and on social networks, fuels false narratives, and tends to linger in public memory even after being debunked — a phenomenon known as the “continued influence effect of misinformation“.