NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the press conference that it is necessary for Prishtina and Belgrade to refrain from actions that could lead to further escalation and return to dialogue under the EU auspices.

Stoltenberg also added that NATO troops in Kosova have recently been reinforced with several hundred soldiers from Italy, Bulgaria, Romania and the UK.

“There are still tensions, it is a difficult situation. We are monitoring it very carefully and increasing our presence, especially in the north. The main message is that both sides, Belgrade and Prishtina, refrain from actions that could lead to further escalation and refrain from inflammatory rhetoric,” Stoltenberg underscored, while describing the return to the dialogue mediated by the EU as a necessity.

“I think it is also an important message to see that the EU and NATO are working side by side and that the increased NATO troops in Kosova are supporting the increased diplomatic efforts of the EU,” Stoltenberg was quoted as saying.

/a.p./