Boris Ruge, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, recently toured the Western Balkans, including visits to Kosovo, Bosnia, and Serbia.
In an interview with N1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ruge emphasized NATO’s ongoing presence and commitment in the region, stating, “The Balkans are on NATO’s radar, and we are not going anywhere.”
Ruge said that the purpose of his visit was to meet with political leaders in Pristina, Sarajevo, and Belgrade to assess the political situation and reaffirm NATO’s presence and partnership in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.
He highlighted NATO’s role in maintaining stability in Kosovo and conveyed the message he delivered to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
“The violence in Kosovo in May and September of last year was an important part of my conversation with President Vučić. We are seeking full accountability for the attacks on our soldiers, for the events of September last year in Banjska. This was a point my boss, Secretary General Stoltenberg, has made, and I reiterated this to President Vučić. This is something we want to see through to the end.”
When asked what Vučić said about the issue of attacks on NATO soldiers in Kosovo, Ruge stated: “Well, he told us that we can expect continuity in terms of the judicial process in Serbia.”
The senior NATO official noted that his views on Kosovo are not entirely divergent from those of Vučić. “They are not entirely divergent. I come here representing NATO, my boss, the Secretary General, and I present our positions, and this is something we will keep on the agenda. Kosovo is important. We still have a military operation with around 5,000 soldiers in Kosovo. Our role is to guarantee a safe environment, work with the Kosovo Police, with EULEX, and this is still an important mission that we aim to fulfill,” Ruge stated.
He also mentioned that NATO has had a partnership with Serbia for several years but added that they want Serbia to play a positive role in Bosnia as well.
“NATO is here, it is part of this region, we have a presence in Bosnia, Kosovo, we have relations with Serbia, and we are closely monitoring what is happening here.”
“As you can see from my visit and the work we are doing at NATO headquarters, the Balkans are on our radar, we are very interested, we have interests in this part of the world, and we are not going anywhere. We will be here to work with our partners and contribute to security and stability in this region,” Ruge declared.
The NATO Assistant Secretary General said that the North Atlantic Alliance does not want to talk about “separation,” while adding that they are very focused on preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia.
“NATO and its allies will not tolerate actions that undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” emphasized Boris Ruge.
