Montenegro rejects NATO: Won't bring soldiers to KFOR

North Atlantic Alliance Secretary-General Jeans Stoltenberg said in Brussels on Tuesday that the involvement of Montenegro's military in the KFOR mission in Kosovo would contribute to peace and stability in the region.

These Stoltenberg comments come after the Montenegrin government has voiced itself against sending an infantry platoon to the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, and for that reason, pandemic has been mentioned.

“would welcome Montenegro's contribution to KFOR because it would support KFOR's important work and help ensure peace and stability in Kosovo and the region. Montenegro would help with the stability of the region and would work with NATO allies and other partners in the KFOR mission”, Stoltenberg said, during a joint media conference in Brussels with Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic.

Djukanovic said there is no reason why Montenegro does not participate in the KFOR mission. He added that this has to do with “minding the political nature”.

“Doubts try to strengthen those who oppose Kosovo independence, who still think this has been a mistake and who try to turn the course of history”, Djukanovic said, recalling that the position of the previous government was that military presence should be increased in Kosovo.

Djukanovic said it is also the obligation of Montenegro, as a state from the region, that more than other states contribute to the stability of the region.

Montenegro's Defence Ministry confirmed to Radio Free Europe that the military of this state, this year, will not send an infantry platoon to the KFOR mission in Kosovo.

“due to the situation created by Corleone and due to budgetary restrictions, Montenegro's military does not plan in 2021 to carry out joint activities and exercises, training or commitment of infantry platoons to the KFOR mission in Kosovo”, the Montenegrin Defence Ministry said when asked why they gave up sending troops to the KFOR mission.

The decisions on the failure to submit troops to Kosovo preceded an open warning to Defence Minister Olivera Injac and Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokkapiq, coming from the ruling Democratic Front (FD), a pro-Russian party, that they will be held responsible if they send the military to Kosovo.

Montenegro became a member NATO in June 2017, and a year later, even KFOR member, the longest-lived mission of the North Atlantic Alliance. Currently, two members -- an army officer and civil representative of the Ministry of Defence -- are involved in Montenegro's mission in Kosovo.

Montenegro joined NATO and KFOR during the time when the country was led by the president's Democratic Party of Socialists, Milo Djukanovic, the party that lost the August 2020 elections. After the elections, Montenegro's new government established the Democratic Front Party, which has a clear anti-oriented orientation - NATO, the civic movement URA and the Democrats.

This coalition of Formed government led by Krivokapiq, a non-party person who, during the elections, led the list of the Democratic Front, which ran alongside several smaller parties.

Full text in REL./