New York – Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha participated in the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Adriatic Charter, held under the chairmanship of Croatia.

In his intervention, the Minister stressed the need to strengthen this mechanism in response to new security challenges and to promote more inclusive regional cooperation, calling for progress in Kosovo’s membership process.

“Kosovo’s request for membership has remained pending for far too long. Progress on this matter would strengthen regional cohesion and our collective ability to address common security challenges,” Minister Hoxha stated.

More than two decades after its establishment, the Adriatic Charter remains an important pillar of regional security and Euro-Atlantic cooperation.

The Minister noted that cyber threats, energy security, and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) require enhanced effectiveness of the Adriatic Charter, alongside deeper and broader regional cooperation as a whole.

Emphasizing the importance of inclusiveness, the Minister stressed that security in the Western Balkans also requires the full integration of all countries and societies of the region into mechanisms of cooperation and shared responsibility.

“Long-term stability can only be achieved when all countries and societies of the region are fully integrated into the framework of cooperation, security and shared responsibility, upon which our common future rests,” he stressed.

Minister Hoxha underlined that a more open, stronger and more inclusive Adriatic Charter, capable of adapting to new challenges, contributes to a more secure Western Balkans and to the shared Euro-Atlantic future.