Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, has said that Kosovo and Serbia must make “appropriate compromises” in the dialogue facilitated by the European Union. According to him, “both sides must focus on long-term benefits.”
He said he understands that this requires difficult decisions, but according to him, a "broader picture" must be seen.
"NATO will continue to fully support the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, led by the EU. It is the only way to resolve outstanding issues and provide a stable future and protect all communities. To move this dialogue forward, both sides must show flexibility, make the right compromises and focus on long-term benefits. I fully understand that this requires difficult decisions, but we must see the bigger picture. Normalization brings greater stability, more investment opportunities and subsequently longer-term security for the entire region to the benefit of all. This is the message that I will continue to repeat," he said at the joint conference with President Osmani.
Rutte: NATO's commitment to stability remains steadfast
Rutte also pledged that NATO's commitment to stability and peace in Kosovo and the region remains steadfast.
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“Our troops are working tirelessly to ensure an environment of order and security in accordance with the KFOR mandate. A safer region means more security for the entire NATO area,” he said. “We are ready to respond to any security developments. And in this sense, we hope to see even deeper cooperation between Kosovo institutions and KFOR. NATO will continue to play its role in its mandate for the security of all. We do this in close coordination with the Kosovo Police, EULEX and our respective roles,” he said.
Rutte further added that all parties should choose diplomacy over violence.
Rutte also said that NATO is in close contact with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić.
"I will be very direct... only together can we have peace in the region. There must be a political solution, which requires leadership from all politicians. We must work together," Rutte said.
He further said that thanks to US President Donald Trump, a "breakthrough" has been made in terms of starting negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Rutte also said that NATO's mandate is to ensure that the Kosovo Security Force is effective in its humanitarian role.
"The mandate is to make sure that the KSF is effective in its humanitarian role here in Kosovo. That is exactly NATO's mandate, to help the KSF be better as a humanitarian force, when there are natural or human disasters. That is the mandate. We work on this every day and constantly," Rutte said.
Meanwhile, Osmani, in her response, said that the KSF's role has been advanced.
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"In NATO, decisions are taken unanimously and there are still four member states that have not yet recognized Kosovo's independence and this turns any decision-making about advancing relations between NATO and the KSF into an extremely complex issue. However, this does not mean that the KSF does not have the full mandate, as foreseen in the Constitution of Kosovo and the laws adopted in the Republic of Kosovo. As a force that protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity for all citizens of our country. In addition, we have found other ways to advance the role of the KSF and its contribution to peace and security in other countries of the globe, through bilateral cooperation agreements, which we have with the member states separately. As you know, the KSF, in cooperation with the USA, serves in peacekeeping missions in various countries of the world. At the same time, with the United Kingdom, it continues to serve in peacekeeping roles. And now we are in the process of negotiating other bilateral agreements through which the KSF will continue to contribute through the full mandate foreseen in the Constitution of Kosovo”, she initially said. “As you know, many years ago there was also an exchange of letters, at that time through the Prime Minister of Kosovo and the former Secretary General, which has to do with increasing the operational level of cooperation between NATO and the KSF and we will work together to see how this can best function in practice, not forgetting that Kosovo soldiers are trained precisely by NATO member states and by NATO itself”.
After the conference with Osmani, Rutte began a meeting with Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
