Ejup Maqedonci is the current Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kosova. Minister Maqedonci is an experienced military leader with more than two decades of experience in defense, security, and operational command, and was a young battalion commander at the age of 19 years old during the Kosova. Before his ministerial appointment, he served as Security and Defense Adviser to the Prime Minister of Kosova (2021–2023) and as Chief of the Department for Operations and Training at the Kosova Security Force Headquarters (2019–2023).
Minister Maqedonci has held multiple leadership positions, including Chief of Staff of the Rapid Reaction Brigade (2014–2019) and Commander of the Search and Rescue Battalion within the Kosova Protection Corps (1999–2009). During the Kosova war, he served as Commander of the 1st Battalion, 153rd Brigade (1998–1999) of the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA). He commanded the Kosova Security Force contingent in Albania during the 2010 humanitarian operation, demonstrating his disaster response experience, and commitment to strong regional relations.
Trained and educated internationally, Minister Maqedonci is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he earned master’s degrees in Military Arts and Science and Strategic Studies.