NATO’s Deputy Secretary General, Radmila Shekerinska, reaffirmed the alliance’s full support for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, emphasizing the critical need for political engagement from both sides to resolve the current deadlock. She highlighted that Kosovo’s path to joining NATO’s Partnership for Peace program would require difficult compromises.
Regarding the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Shekerinska stated that NATO fully supports the EU-led process, urging both Prishtina and Belgrade to adopt a constructive approach. She stressed that it is in the hands of the leaders of both countries to make progress and move beyond the current impasse.
“NATO has been active in the region for a long time. Through KFOR, we’ve been present for an extended period. This is our longest and strongest mission at the moment, and it clearly reflects our commitment, as well as the importance of stability in the Western Balkans for the alliance. It’s not easy to convince allies to send so many troops and keep them there for such a long time, but we have always said that KFOR’s mission is clear: to ensure security and keep the people of Kosovo safe. This doesn’t solve the problem, so the aim of KFOR is to provide military security to support the EU-led dialogue,” she explained during an interview with KTV.
Shekerinska added, “There is no magic solution. There must be political will from both Belgrade and Prishtina for progress. We appreciate the progress made in the past, but we believe it’s time to move forward, which is also the expectation from the EU side. The High Representative has announced her upcoming visit to the region, and we believe it will give a boost to the political dialogue.”
