NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated today that the allies will continue to work together to ensure that the KFOR mission in Kosovo has the necessary forces and resources to maintain a peaceful and safe environment for all.
He made these remarks during a press conference at the conclusion of the meeting of NATO defense ministers, where the alliance’s operation in Kosovo was also discussed.
“In Kosovo, the allies continue to work together to ensure that our KFOR mission has the forces and resources it needs to maintain a calm and safe environment for everyone,” he said.
Rutte also expressed concerns the previous day about the lack of progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
“This means we need to be aware of the tensions in the Western Balkans and the fact that the dialogue process between Pristina and Belgrade is not progressing as we would like…,” he said.
Currently, over 4,400 NATO-led troops are responsible for security in Kosovo, and during 2023, the alliance increased its presence following tensions in the north.
Kosovo and Serbia have been engaged in 13 years of talks aimed at normalizing relations, with little progress made, and an agreement reached last year has yet to be implemented.
