The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Tuesday in Skopje that the North Atlantic Alliance will do everything to prevent any escalation of the security situation, or military threat to any NATO member country or even the countries other Western Balkans.
He made this statement after the meeting he held with the Macedonian Prime Minister, Dimitar Kovacevski, when he was asked to comment on the statement of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, that Russia is aiming to incite conflict in the region.
“We do not see any military threat that would come from Russia against any NATO member country, or the region, but we are still careful and closely watching what Russia is doing. We have a military presence in this region, KFOR in Kosovo, the general headquarters in Sarajevo and the office in Belgrade, and we are prepared to do everything to protect any ally from any threat,” said Stoltenberg.
The head of NATO repeated the alliance’s message to Russia that “it must refrain from aggressive actions against its neighbors and in any case end its aggression against Ukraine”.
Stoltenberg, who arrived in Skopje after visiting Belgrade, said that “the security of the Western Balkans is of particular importance for NATO” and on this occasion he mentioned several reasons that present “concerns for the alliance”.
“There are tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and here I encourage political leaders to refrain from divisions and secessionist rhetoric, while directing their efforts towards reconciliation and a peaceful future,” said the head of NATO.
In this context, Stoltenberg also spoke about the developments in Kosovo, stressing the need to continue the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.
“In Kosovo some time ago we saw incidents of serious violence that included unacceptable attacks on peacekeeping troops of KFOR, and those who did this must be held accountable. Belgrade and Pristina must continue with the dialogue that is being facilitated by the European Union, as it is the only way towards a solution that would respect the rights of all ethnic communities”, said the head of the Western military alliance.
He also spoke about North Macedonia’s role in regional security, the approval of the necessary constitutional changes for integration into the European Union.
He conveyed this message to the deputies in a speech in the Assembly of North Macedonia.
The Macedonian Prime Minister, Dimitar Kovacevski, meanwhile said that the institutions will do everything for regional security, but also for achieving European integration as “the best possible path for the country’s future”.
“Regional security is more important than ever before, so our priority remains the European integration, first of all of North Macedonia, but also of the region. There should be no obstacles on this road and we will do everything possible to complete this road, until our membership in the EU, until 2030”, declared Kovacevski.
The Macedonian Prime Minister said that the commitment to peace, security and the perspective of citizens “cannot and must not be hindered by the political calculations of destructive politicians”.
Previously, Stoltenberg stayed in Sarajevo and Pristina. The head of NATO will conclude the Balkan tour with a meeting on Wednesday in Skopje with the leaders of NATO member states from the region. He will meet with the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, the Croatian President, Zoran Millatović, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Millojko Spajić, and the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Robert Golob.
