Former spokeswoman NATO, Jamie Shea: Kosovo must be part of alliance

Shea has said that Kosovo's NATO membership is in the interest of all in the region.

My view in this regard is that Kosovo must certainly be a regular member of NATO's Partnership for Peace and have access to all collaborative activities under my partnership for peace and from my personal view, I regret that there are three NATO member states still recognising Kosovo, for various reasons, often used as a pretext, to stop Kosovo's full participation in NATO's <x1) partnership activities.

I hope, considering the challenges in the Balkans we talked about, NATO members will agree, that despite these issues of recognition, which unfortunately lasts even further, more will be done to engage Kosovo in joint exercises, in cyber defence activities, in all things NATO does and has to offer”.

I hope that NATO, which began several years ago, partnership activities with Kosovo, so we started these activities, I hope that NATO will now push these initiatives forward. I think it's in everyone's interest in the region. On the other hand, KFOR is still there, KFOR will stay, so as far as a scale, the defence of NATO, which Kosovo has enjoyed for 23 years, since June 1999, when KFOR first entered, this defence continues”, the former spokeswoman has said NATO, Jamie Shea on ATV.