The NATO chief on Wednesday expressed hope that Serbia will have interaction within the EU-facilitated dialogue in a bid to cut back pressure in northern Kosovo.
Jens Stoltenberg‘s remarks got here after his assembly with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“We call on all parties to reduce tensions and refrain from escalatory actions. We strongly believe that the only path forward is to engage in the European Union-facilitated dialogue which is strongly supported by NATO. Serbia is a long-standing partner of NATO. We trust that it will engage in the dialogue in a constructive way,” Stoltenberg mentioned.
He recalled that in May, NATO troops had been attacked and 93 individuals had been injured.
“Three of them were seriously injured. This is unacceptable. NATO has increased its presence with around 500 troops in response to the increased tension and difficulties in northern Kosovo. NATO will continue to ensure to conduct our mandate in an impartial way and ensure to have the forces available to implement the UN mandate,” mentioned Stoltenberg.
Vucic, for his half, mentioned that he’s involved concerning the current developments within the north of Kosovo and requested NATO to offer security and safety for Serbs in Kosovo.
“It is becoming more and more a security issue than a political issue,” he mentioned.
“Based on a UN resolution, NATO is responsible for the security and safety issue of Kosovo. We will ask you to provide safety and security for the Serbs in Kosovo because in the last 6 months, there were at least 6 Serbs shot by Albanians, mainly by their security forces,” the Serbian president mentioned.
Following the April elections in northern Kosovo, the EU mentioned the low turnout amongst Serbs didn’t present municipalities with long-term political options.
Ethnic Serbs have been protesting the election of Albanian mayors since late May.
On May 30, NATO determined to ship 700 extra troops to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), the alliance-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, after 30 of its troopers had been injured through the unrest. A contingent of Turkish troops was among the many reinforcements.
Kosovo and Serbia should attain a remaining settlement and resolve disputes to maneuver ahead with their integration into the EU.
When Pristina declared its independence 15 years in the past, most UN member states, together with the U.S., UK, France, Germany, and Türkiye, acknowledged it as a separate nation from Serbia, however Belgrade continues to treat it as its territory.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
