The developments in the North of Kosova received special attention at the meeting of the Ministers of Defense of the NATO countries, which was held at the NATO HQ in Brussels.

As part of this meeting, Albanian Minister of Defense, Niko Peleshi expressed Albania’s commitment for the implementation of the decisions taken at the Vilnius Summit on the development of regional plans and the new structure of the forces, emphasizing the importance of the realization of the entire family of deterrence and defense plans, to guarantee the Alliance from possible threats.

In the framework of the implementation of the new model of NATO forces, the new structure of the Armed Forces was approved, and Albania will also contribute to the implementation of the plans by adapting own practices and making available critical infrastructure such as the Kuçova Base, the port of Porto Romano and the construction of Corridor VIII.

According to Minister Peleshi, “Albania has a clear political will and will continue to support measures to strengthen deterrence and defense with a comprehensive approach, further increasing the contribution to operations and missions such as in Kosova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, in NATO’s Enhanced Vigilance in Bulgaria, Romania and the Mediterranean Sea”.

Focusing on the situation in the Western Balkans, Minister Peleshi during his speech strongly condemned the sophisticated terrorist attack in the North of Kosova, as an attempt to destabilize the region. Moreover, he added, Belgrade’s reaction by heroizing the attackers of September 24 in Banjska and sending troops and military capacities close to the border with Kosovo are unacceptable and reprehensible events, therefore the EU in particular must take a firm stand to such acts and to speak openly to the Serbian government.

Minister Peleshi pointed out that NATO and the EU should do more for the Balkans.

/a.p./