Lithuanian defense minister Rasa Juknevičienė (left) and Kosovar Minister of Security Forces Fehmi Mujota inspect Lithuanian soldiers before signing the military agreement Monday morning. Photo by Nathan Greenhalgh.

VILNIUS — Lithuania and Kosovo signed a military cooperation agreement Monday morning to increase the breakaway region’s integration into NATO and bolster its disputed independence.

Kosovo’s independence is a divisive issue in the Baltic region. The Baltic states, Poland, Germany, Sweden and Finland recognize Kosovo’s independence, but Russia and Belarus do not.

Kosovo’s security is currently guaranteed by a contingent of NATO and other European troops that has no plans of departing soon, and 36 Lithuanian soldiers are part of the force. While Monday’s Lithuania-Kosovo agreement makes no mention of military engagement, Kosovar Minister of Security Forces Fehmi Mujota said it was an important step for his country.

“It proves the fact that the destiny Kosovo has taken is to European Union integration and NATO integration,” Mujota told Baltic Reports. “This opens a path that leads to the other procedures that are coming.”

Lithuanian defense minister Rasa Juknevičienė highlighted Kosovo’s sovereignty at a press conference following the signing.

“The agreement today is a full-fledged cooperation between two sovereign states,” Juknevičienė announced.

Commander of Ground Forces of Kosovo Security Forces, Major General Rahman Rama, commander of the ground forces of the Kosovo Security Forces, told Baltic Reports that while the total amount of training Kosovars and Lithuanians would exchange remains to be decided, the signing was not mere ceremony.

“From the political side it has a positive impact, it also has a professional benefit,” Rama said. “Lithuania is in NATO. This helps us integrate with NATO.”

The International Court of Justice will begin hearings on Kosovo’s independence Tuesday and is expected to give its decision Dec. 11. Currently the veto threat of Russia, a permanent Security Council member, stands in the way of United Nations recognition of Kosovo.

Mujota and Juknevičienė (right) sign the agreement Monday. Photo by Nathan Greenhalgh.

Why Lithuania?

Lithuania is the second country to sign such an agreement with Kosovo, the U.K. being the first. Lithuania has kept close ties with Europe’s newest nation, being the first country to send its defense minister to Pristina shortly after the declaration of independence in February 2008.

“Lithuania happened to be the first to engage us,” Mujota told Baltic Reports. “In the ministry there was no list of who goes first.”

In addition to being the first to approach Kosovo there are parallels in recent Lithuanian history to what Kosovo is going through with Serbia, given the Baltic state’s protracted separation from the Soviet Union.

“What Lithuania went through in the early 90s is where Kosovo is today,” retired Col. Lance Dickinson, the NATO adviser on international cooperation for Kosovo, told Baltic Reports.

Mujota said Kosovo would like to sign a similar agreement with Latvia and Estonia, but is now focusing on Balkan, not Baltic nations.

“For us it would be good to have, it would be important to have an agreement also with Latvia and Estonia,” Mujota said. “Formally we have not yet started the negotiations.”

Currently the Kosovar government is in negotiations with Turkey on a military cooperation agreement.