Italian Major General Roberto Vergori has been appointed as the next commander of NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR), with the transition process from the current leadership already underway.
Vergori is currently in Prishtina and was received Tuesday by the current KFOR commander, Major General Özkan Ulutaş, at the mission’s headquarters at Camp Film City.
His visit is part of the upcoming KFOR XXXI rotation, which Vergori will lead. Members of the incoming command are taking part in a training and transition program designed to familiarize them with the mission’s leadership structures, staff and operational procedures.
Turkish Brigadier General Onur Çakıcı, who has been designated as the next deputy KFOR commander, is also participating in the program.
According to KFOR, the training is intended to ensure a smooth transition, maintain a high level of operational readiness and guarantee continuity in the mission’s leadership.
Vergori’s military career
Vergori, who was born in Lecce in 1971, has held several senior positions in the Italian Army.
He commanded Italy’s “Folgore” Paratroopers Brigade from 2021 to 2023. Members of the brigade have previously served as part of KFOR in Kosovo.
He also previously led Italy’s assistance and support mission in Libya and, in 2023, commanded the Joint Task Force Lebanon Sector West within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The current training program officially marks the beginning of the handover process between KFOR’s outgoing and incoming leadership.
The transition is expected to be completed this autumn with an official ceremony transferring command authority from Ulutaş to Vergori.
