NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte did not provide any comment on the tripartite defense agreement between Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia, as well as the one between Serbia and Hungary, reports Gazeta Sinjali.
During a media conference in Brussels, Rutte emphasized that stability in the Western Balkans remains a major concern for NATO, recalling the Alliance’s presence with KFOR troops in Kosovo and its engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
However, he underlined that bilateral or tripartite agreements remain independent decisions of the respective countries.
“Stability in the Western Balkans is a major concern for NATO. For this reason, we are present in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have five allies in the region – Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Croatia, and Slovenia – with whom we work closely. But I want to emphasize that it is not for me to comment on every development in the region. These are decisions for the individual allies regarding bilateral or tripartite agreements,” Rutte stated.
He added that other NATO countries also cooperate in various defense areas, but emphasized that these agreements fall exclusively under the competence of the states and are outside the intervention of the Alliance.
