Edi Rama insists that NATO regain control of northern Kosovo

NATO must restore control of northern Kosovo or face continued violence between ethnic Serbs and Albanians in the region, says Albania's prime minister.

Edi Rama, whose country is a member of the military alliance, spoke of the <x0-Financial Times” after Serb paramilitaries took a monastery in northern Kosovo hostage, taking at least four lives, including that of an Albanian police officer.

“Kosovo is a hot spot”, Rama said. Over the years it has become a land of no man where all kinds of crimes combine with growing nationalism. The margin between crime and politics has faded”.

NATO said it would deploy as many peacekeeping troops as necessary to stabilise the situation, with Germany and the United Kingdom already promising hundreds of soldiers at the helm of the existing 4,500-strong force to keep the region under control. Kosovo and Serbia leaders have also called on NATO to increase its presence and calm tensions.

Kosovo has blamed Serbia for sponsoring the attack and for moving army units near the border of Kosovo, calling them war purposes. Belgrade denied such plans, but is hosting the group's leader, Milan Radojic, who carried out the monastery's siege. Following that monastery's attack, Kosovo authorities found a large weapons depot, including explosives, heavy artillery and military vehicles.

Rama opted for a “high-level conference” that includes leaders of France and Germany and re-angagement of the US. This is the best way out of this infinite madness”.

The Albanian leader said he had already attracted attention to worsening the security situation in Kosovo during a NATO summit in July.

The goal, he said, was the “full recognition of Kosovo in the EU and the United Nations. It's not easy to change the course of history, it requires leadership. But if France and Germany can do it [after World War II], if Saudi Arabia and Israel can do it, then we know it can happen”.

“Financial Times” writes that Rama for a long time refrained from involvement in the Kosovo conflict, instead built warm ties with Belgrade, while seeking to make progress on the path to EU membership for the Western Balkans. But given the growing security threat not only for Albanians in Kosovo, but also for the region as a whole, Rama said he should call “the shovel”.

The instability in the Western Balkans serves Moscow's interests, Rama said. Russia has long supported Serbia and has not recognised Kosovo's independence. Following Ukraine's full-scale Russian invasion last year, Belgrade resisted Western calls to impose sanctions on Russia.

“Kremlin would also like to see a small Donbas in Kosovo and light a separatism fire in the middle of Europe”, Rama said. While he offered no evidence of Russian involvement in the recent outbreak of tensions, he said the Kremlin's intervention was the simplest “production you can make. They do this all over the world, from Africa to the Middle East, so they will certainly try Europe. Kosovo has also been one [through] for Russians”. /Klankosova. tv