The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, at the press conference after the meeting with the Kosovan President, Vjosa Osmani emphasized that the perpetrators of the September 24 attack in the north must be held accountable. He emphasized that KFOR is always ready to fulfill its mission, and that it welcomes the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority.

“In September we saw outbreaks of violence in northern Kosova, which raised concerns about how a wider conflict could return to the Western Balkans. In May, KFOR troops were attacked, leaving 93 NATO soldiers seriously injured and some scarred for life. Such violent attacks are unacceptable, the perpetrators of the attack must be held responsible,” the NATO Secretary General underscored.

Stoltenberg said that for those responsible for the attack by terrorist groups in the north of the country during September, should sustain consequences.

“The violence we saw in May and September in Banjska is unacceptable. That’s why we’ve increased NATO’s presence and sent a thousand more troops, the largest deployment in at least a decade. I expect that those responsible for this violence will be held accountable. This has been my message since May. It is important that there should be consequences, because we must do whatever we can to ensure that the violence will not be repeated,” he stated.

Further, Stoltenberg has said that any deployment of Kosova Police troops in the north must receive NATO’s confirmation and peace and security must not be jeopardized.

“NATO also supports the dialogue mediated by the EU between Belgrade and Prishtina. Both sides must engage in good faith. I welcome the recent proposals for the formation of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosova. This would be a key step towards the normalization of relations and towards long-term and sustainable peace in the region,” said the NATO secretary.

Meanwhile, Kosovan president, Vjosa Osmani said that Kosova is ready to maintain stability not only for itself, but for the entire region.

“We are participating in peacekeeping operations around the world based on bilateral agreements. I strongly believe that our joint efforts will create the opportunity to preserve the peace and stability not only for Kosova, but also for the region,” Osmani emphasized.

Osmani said that one of the tools that Russia uses to destabilize the Western Balkans is propaganda, while also listing other tools, too.

“The second is the weapons that Russia constantly sells to Serbia, which are then used to attack Kosova and other countries. The third has to do with the political support that Russia constantly provides for Serbia. When all three come together, it is clear that it is in Russia’s interest to open another front against the West, of course it wants to open it in parts of Europe that are not yet part of NATO. This makes our membership in NATO even more imperative, to stop such influence of Russia in our region,” stated Osmani.

Later that day, Stoltenberg will travel to the Republic of North Macedonia to meet with President Stevo Pendarovski and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski. The Secretary General will also meet with the Speaker of the Assembly of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, and will deliver a speech in front of the Assembly.

While on Wednesday, the Secretary General will participate in a meeting with allied leaders from the region. The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama; The President of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic; the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajic; and the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Robert Golob, have been invited to attend.

/a.p./