Security cooperation between Kosovo and NATO was the focus of separate meetings held Monday between Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj, and Admiral George M. Wikoff, Commander of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Naples.
The meetings took place in Prishtina and Deçan during Admiral Wikoff’s visit to Kosovo.
Kurti received the senior U.S. admiral at the Prime Minister’s Office, where KFOR Commander Major General Özkan Ulutaş also attended the meeting.
“We are grateful for NATO’s commitment to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all citizens and communities, as well as for its continued contribution to lasting peace and long-term stability in our country and across the Western Balkans,” Kurti wrote on Facebook following the meeting.
He said discussions focused on the current security situation and ongoing cooperation between Kosovo’s institutions and NATO.
Meanwhile, Haradinaj met Admiral Wikoff in Deçan during a meeting hosted by Mayor Bashkim Ramosaj.
During the meeting, Haradinaj argued that Kosovo’s accession to NATO would strengthen stability across the Western Balkans.
“Kosovo’s immediate membership in NATO would complete the security architecture of the region,” Haradinaj said.
He thanked Admiral Wikoff for his personal engagement and praised NATO’s continued role in maintaining peace and security in Kosovo.
“We expressed our gratitude for Admiral Wikoff’s personal commitment and for the continued support that he and NATO forces provide in safeguarding security and stability in our country,” Haradinaj stated.
Haradinaj also emphasized that Kosovo’s strategic partnership with the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance remains fundamental to the country’s future.
“Our freedom is the greatest achievement we secured together with our allies, led by the United States and NATO member states. Our bond with them is permanent, as is our aspiration to become part of this alliance,” he said.
NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Naples, headquartered in Lago Patria near Naples, Italy, is one of the alliance’s principal operational commands. It oversees NATO military operations across a broad area that includes the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and the Kosovo Force (KFOR), which remains responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment in Kosovo.
