As a sign of the close cooperation and friendship between Germany and Kosovo, including in the military and security policy field, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Palkowitsch assumes the newly created position of Deputy Defence Attaché at the German Embassy in Pristina.

Last week, he was briefed on his duties by the Defence Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Franz-Josef Nolte, who has his main office at the German Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and looks after Kosovo from there, and was introduced to the leadership of the Ministry of Defence and the KSF.

Lieutenant Colonel Palkowitsch's accreditation is a further building block in the strong bilateral cooperation and will render our existing excellent cooperation even more effective.

The German Ministry of Defence and its Kosovar counterpart are currently working together in three main areas of cooperation: the Bilateral Annual Programme, Military Training Assistance and the Enhancement and Enabling Initiative.

KSF has joined the German Enhancement and Enabling Initiative in 2019, since when Germany has provided the security institutions in Kosovo with equipment worth EUR 5.8 million, including a water purifier plant, two hazardous goods transporters, ten bomb protection suits and - just yesterday - five lorries for the KSF's logistics regiment.

There are also plans to fully equip the Search and Rescue International Training Centre before the end of this year.

As part of its Military Training Assistance, Germany offers up to 15 fully funded training places for KSF members in programmes such as officer training courses and master's degree courses.

Finally, the Annual Bilateral Programme consists of up to 20 activities per year, which are carried out alternately by Germany and Kosovo. This may involve expert discussions, workshops or other joint activities.

The presence of a deputy defence attaché in Pristina is an expression of the intensified and growing cooperation between Germany and Kosovo. A strong partnership and friendship that both sides can be very proud of!