Official NATO in Serbia: Stability in Kosovo Essential to Regional Security

Giampiero Romano, Italian general and head of the NATO Liaison Office in Serbia, in an interview for the research and publishing centre “Demostat” in Belgrade has said that sustainability in Kosovo is essential for the stability and security of the Western Balkans, especially after the events of 2023 in the northern part of the Serb-run country.

Romano has guaranteed that NATO will continue to support the process of dialogue on normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia under the auspices of the European Union (BE), naming it the only way to achieve a sustainable political solution and therefore, the stability of a region burdened by ethnic tensions.

“A stable Kosovo is essential for stability in the region and for security. For more than two decades, peace and stability in Kosovo have been priority for NATO. The United Nations mandate (OKB) for KFOR's peacekeeping mission, based on Security Council Resolution 1244, remains unchanged”, he stressed.

Commenting on the security situation in the Western Balkans in the optical of new geopolitical realities, especially after Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Italian general has assessed as “serious issues” the possibility of renewed conflict in the region, while adding that NATO will continue to further develop strategic co-operation with regional partners and allies.

NATO has increased the number of soldiers in Kosovo. About 1,000 soldiers in the KFOR leadership have deployed in the country only in recent weeks the largest NATO presence in ten years mainly due to warnings of the possibility of escalating tensions between Kosovo and Serbia and violating peace and security in the region.