-
By:
Augustin Palokaj
- March 14 2024 20: 08
- Share to:
The report concluded that for years, the NATO mission in Kosovo - KFOR - has maintained a safe environment and free movement for all communities, in cooperation with other international organizations, including the European Union (EU), the United Nations United Nations (UN) and others. This report also lists the challenges that KFOR has faced during the past year, after the outbreak of violence in the north, inhabited mainly by Serbs.
The military presence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Kosovo is key to maintaining peace and stability in the entire Western Balkan region, it was announced in the annual report of NATO, which was presented on Thursday in Brussels by the secretary of General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg.
The report concluded that for years, the NATO mission in Kosovo - KFOR - has maintained a safe environment and free movement for all communities, in cooperation with other international organizations, including the European Union (EU), the United Nations United Nations (UN) and others.
This report also lists the challenges that KFOR has faced during the past year, after the outbreak of violence in the north inhabited mainly by Serbs.
"In 2023, KFOR played a key role in ensuring stability in Kosovo after the increase in tensions in the north of Kosovo. After the outbreak of violence in May and September, allies deployed about 1.000 reserve forces to the mission, the largest increase in a decade. This has enabled KFOR to triple the number of patrols and quadruple its presence in the north of Kosovo", the report stated.
Tensions in the north began to rise at the end of May 2023, after the new mayors of the municipalities in Zveçan, Zubin-Potok and Leposaviq, accompanied by the Kosovo Police, entered the municipal facilities.
also
NATO plans to reduce presence in Kosovo after finding improvement in security situation
Serbian residents opposed this and organized protests that culminated in violence on May 29 in Zveçan, in which dozens of demonstrators and KFOR soldiers were injured.
They escalated a few months later, on September 24, when the Kosovo Police was attacked by a group of armed Serbs in Banjska in Zveçan in the north of the country, where one policeman and three attackers were killed.
As a result, NATO has increased the number of its soldiers in KFOR.
According to Thursday's report, with the latest increase over the past year, the KFOR mission has 4.700 members in Kosovo, including the reserve force.
In his annual report, Stoltenberg also mentioned the assistance that NATO has provided to security organizations in Kosovo for building their capacities, especially in the field of logistics, for medical support, procurement and management of human resources.
This year's report also expressed NATO's support for the dialogue mediated by the EU for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
"NATO remains committed to supporting the dialogue facilitated by the European Union between Belgrade and Pristina. The dialogue is the main platform for reaching a solution that respects the rights of all communities and the construction of sustainable peace, which is beneficial to the security of Kosovo and the stability of the entire Western Balkans region," said the report presented by Stoltenberg. .
In this detailed report, the main activities of NATO in the last year are mentioned, starting from the commitment to help Ukraine in the face of Russia's aggression, increasing the presence in the eastern flank to ensure the protection of the territory of all member countries , the increase in investments for strengthening the military capacities of the alliance, up to engagement in missions, such as that of KFOR in Kosovo.
also
Kosovo and the Balkans remain a strategic priority for NATO
NATO has regularly presented annual reports on its activities.
The report presented on Thursday in Brussels is considered the last presented by the current secretary Stoltenberg, as it is expected that soon, possibly before the summit in Washington of the United States, which will be held in July, the allies will agree on the appointment of the successor Stoltenberg.
