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The Government of Kosovo has signed an agreement on Monday with the Turkish state manufacturer of the defense industry, Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi, for the establishment of an ammunition factory in Kosovo, announced the Office of Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
The factory will produce "different calibers of ammunition according to NATO standards", the announcement states.
"Besides the production machinery, the contract signed today also provides for staff training, maintenance for a certain period of time, and equipment for quality testing and calibration systems," Prime Minister Kurti said.
The prime minister's office added that, after the operation, the factory will act as a public enterprise and as a "100% local brand" of Kosovo.
The Minister of Defense of Kosovo, Ejup Maqedonci, said that the production of ammunition will begin within "a short period of time", without specifying when.
He said that he cannot give more details even about the place where the factory will be built, due to the "sensitivity of the information".
"It is impossible for me to share more information about the contract, because the contract itself is classified," Maqedonci told Kosovo's public television, RTK.
More details have not been made public.
On November 27, Kurti announced that he has started the process of opening a factory for the production of ammunition and laboratories for the design of unmanned aerial vehicles, known as drones. According to him, this is "a necessary step to guarantee the sustainable development of the army".
Macedonia had previously said that for this project they have coordinated with international partners, including the USA, and that the Ministry of Defense of Turkey has assisted with a "feasibility report".
"For the opening of the state ammunition factory, we have received a feasibility report from the Ministry of Defense of Turkey. We are in the finalization phase of this project", he said in a press conference.
Last summer, Kosovo bought Bayraktar TB-2 drones from Turkey. Kurti said at the time that with their purchase, Kosovo "is even safer", and added that the officers of the Kosovo Security Force have already been trained in the use of drones.
It was not clear at the time how many drones had been purchased.
The budget for the Ministry of Defense for 2025 is expected to be 207.8 million euros, or 54 million euros more than this year.
The KSF is currently in the process of being transformed into a regular army. By the end of this process, in 2028, the KSF is expected to have over 7,500 active and reserve members from over 4,000 that it currently has./ REL
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