As he announced on Friday at the media conference, the chairman of the Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, has today submitted to the Parliament of Albania an amendment to the state budget of 5 billion lek in aid of Kosovo's security.

Looking at the recent situation, since the terrorist attack in Banjska on September 24, Kosovo's security has been compromised, therefore its support is a necessity for Basha from the Albanian state.

Basha proposes in his request the approval of the reduction of some capital investments not necessary for the smooth running of the economic progress of the country and the approval of an additional "voice" for military financial aid to the Republic of Kosovo in the amount of 5 billion lek.

Basha's proposal:

Taking into account the tense security situation in the Republic of Kosovo in the light of the facts of an unprovoked escalation of the security situation by Serbia, financial assistance for defense and security needs from the Republic of Albania to the Republic of Kosovo becomes necessary. of at least 5 billion ALL per year, starting from 2024.

This financial assistance is aimed at strengthening and expanding the military capacities of the Republic of Kosovo for the protection of sovereignty, integrity and territorial integrity at a time when the Republic of Serbia is rearming with stated objectives for military intervention in Kosovo at the moment when the political situation would enable this action.

The September 24 terrorist attack in Kosovo was not an isolated incident. Terrorists have been trained at military bases in Serbia, weapons have been smuggled into Kosovo for months, with the aim of provoking a scenario similar to that of Crimea in 2014. There is no doubt that nothing of this magnitude can happen without the involvement of state authorities In Serbia. And this was not the only operation to forcefully change the status quo in which Serbia is currently involved.

Encouraging and supporting the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia-Herzegovina, attempting to control the political infrastructure of Montenegro, and infiltrating armed paramilitary structures in Kosovo to orchestrate the violent takeover of part of the territory of an independent state, all are part of the strategy of the Serbian state to dictate a new reality on the ground, which the leaders of Belgrade publicly label as the Serbian World.

This is an attempt to impose the change of borders through de facto divisions and conquests of territory. The end result would overturn the Euro-Atlantic security architecture of Southeast Europe and deal a potentially lethal blow to peace and stability in Europe.

On a larger scale, this means using Serbia as a chess piece in a strategy devised and orchestrated by Moscow with clear objectives: Destabilize and plunge the Western Balkans into chaos and undermine NATO's southeastern flank by opening a front new at the heart of the Alliance against Russia's illegal war of occupation in Ukraine.

While senior representatives of allied countries have made it clear that the targets behind the Banjska terrorist attack pose a serious threat to peace and stability, Kosovo's highest authorities have raised concerns that 3 out of 4 infantry brigades of the Serbian armed forces are positioned in 48 operational bases along the border with the Republic of Kosovo, waiting for a favorable conjuncture for military intervention.

All this shows that we must act without wasting time to strengthen the defense capacities of the Republic of Kosovo. Some of the allied countries have taken active steps in strengthening and expanding the defense capacities of Kosovo. But Albania should also be ranked in the aid of Kosovo and the support of its allies.

Taking into account the capital expenditures of the State Budget of 2024, I propose to the Assembly of Albania:

1 - to approve the reduction from 129 billion and 381 million ALL to 124 billion and 381 million ALL by cutting capital investments not necessary for the smooth running of the country's economic performance, such as office restorations, furniture, vehicle purchases, non-emergency capital expenditures;

2 - to approve an additional item "military financial aid for the Republic of Kosovo" in the amount of 5 billion ALL.