8 minutes agoStoltenberg: Skopje to Change NATO Presence in Kosovo
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)Secretary - General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said there are no changes in NATO's presence in Kosovo, nor are there expected to be, because, according to him, all 30 member states are committed to continuing the mandate. Stoltenberg made comments after the meeting he held Monday with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, in [...]
Stoltenberg made comments after the meeting he held Monday with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, in Brussels.
Days ago, Vuciq said there is “there is information that a large state of NATO will seek the removal of NATO's mission, KFOR, from Kosovo”.
There are no changes to the NATO mission and the 30 allies, including the US, are dedicated to the KFOR mission. KFOR is there to ensure freedom of movement for all and allies are committed. This mission is clearly based on the United Nations mandate and there are no changes”, Stoltenberg said.
He said any changes to KFOR's mandate should occur only with the reconciliation of all NATO member states.
Vuçic said that “is satisfied with these” clarifications and that he hopes that this Stoltenberg statement will also be confirmed at the NATO summit in June.
“Perhaps it was the misunderstanding of gossip on my part, but I can say we are on the right track to remain calm in the region”, Vuciq said.
He said that the NATO chief has discussed many issues from the region, namely issues related to Kosovo and reports between Belgrade and Pristina.
Serbia is 100 percent committed to dialogue and seeking compromise resolution. I hope both sides will have enough power to succeed. But both sides, in any case, should maintain peace”, said Vuciq, also thanking Stoltenberg personally.
On 13 May, Vuciq has said his country has received information from intelligence sources, that one of the major powers will soon begin to officially seek the withdrawal of KFOR and UNMIK forces from Kosovo.
Vuciq has told reporters in Belgrade that he cannot say what power this is about, but that information is from “official sources”.
UNMIK, the UN's Interim Mission, respectively, has been deployed in Kosovo in 2000, following NATO's air strikes at the limits of the Serbian Army.
It is located on the basis of Resolution 1244, which was approved by the UN Security Council in June 1999 and still in force.
After Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence, U n The NMIC has handed over most of its responsibilities to the European Union's Mission for Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX).
Peacekeeping Mission NATO, KFOR, is located in Kosovo as well in June 1999, following the withdrawal of Serb forces from Kosovo.
