The new commander of KFOR, Enrico Barduani, has stated that sustainable peace between Kosovo and Serbia requires a political solution.
Barduani clarified that “the solution between Kosovo and Serbia should not be military, but through dialogue,” meaning that the resolution of core issues between the parties lies in the hands of diplomacy and politics.
“While KFOR’s military presence is necessary to address the current security challenges, sustainable peace requires a political solution. In fact, after an international crisis, military forces are functional in creating a secure environment, but it is up to diplomacy and politics to resolve the fundamental issues that caused the crisis and achieve a lasting solution. This cannot be a task entrusted to military personnel,” Barduani stated to the AP.
Barduani had served in Kosovo in 2001 as an officer and later in 2015 as the chief of staff of the KFOR commander. He currently considers the security situation to be more stable, though it remains fragile even after more than two decades.
“The security situation in Kosovo has improved significantly since 2001; it has remained calm but fragile for years. This is mainly due to the lack of tangible progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which we continue to fully support.”
Barduani also stated that immediately after the terrorist attack on the Ibar-Lepenc canal, the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, which he currently leads, secured the area, but emphasized that the responsibility for the rule of law lies with the Kosovo Police.
The Italian officer took command of KFOR on October 11, replacing Turkish officer Ozkan Ulutas.
A month and a half after taking office, Kosovo faced one of the most serious attacks on its critical infrastructure.
