Shea calls: Kosovo to do everything to accelerate NATO membership

Former spokeswoman NATO during the war in Kosovo, Jamie Shea, said he is convinced that there will one day be political movements in the Western Balkans and that Kosovo will become a NATO member.

According to him, Kosovo's task is to do everything it can to accelerate that process.

Kosovo has many friends who can help with this strategy of public diplomacy. I am personally convinced that one day there will be political movements in the Western Balkans and that Kosovo will become a NATO member. Pristina's task is to do everything it can to accelerate that process”.

For the possibility of Kosovo becoming part of NATO in a short time, Shea said there is still much work to meet NATO standards and the 31 allies must recognise Kosovo as an independent state before membership can move forward.

“The sustainable presence of NATO soldiers/ KFOR on Kosovo territory more than 24 years after the end of the conflict in 1999 also highlights that Kosovo has yet to do much to improve its internal cohesion and stability, even though it is difficult here to achieve progress if Belgrade is not a co-operative partner”, Shea told RTK.

Shea said that Kosovo in the near future priority should have daily partnership with NATO and the opening of deeper areas of co-operation, such as training, joint training, procurement, modernisation and achieving full interoperability with NATO.

He also spoke of the power of Kosovo's military size, which he said Kosovo is currently protected by NATO and that there is no need to develop a large army that would use valuable resources needed to create jobs, improve education and provide better social services.

Kosovo must develop a force that is interoperative with NATO, but is financially stable in the long term and balanced against other priorities of government spending. NATO's advice on the structures and budgets of forces can be useful to Kosovo here”, Shea said. / RTK