The Minister of Defense of Kosovo, Ejup Macedonci, asked NATO to treat seriously the deployment of Serbian military troops near the border with Kosovo.

During a meeting with the head of the division for operations at the General Staff of the Western military alliance, Ariella Viehe, Maqedonci said that the deployment of Serbian troops around the border with Kosovo “constitutes a constant threat to the stability of the Western Balkans”, writes Radio Free Europe.

Maqedonci also said that Kosovo is committed to continuing the cooperation of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, adding that the state’s objective is NATO membership.

Since tensions have increased between Kosovo and Serbia, following an armed attack by a group of Serbs on the Kosovo police in Banjska in Zvečani last September, officials in Pristina have several times accused Serbia of deploying military troops near the border with Kosovo.

March of this year was the last time that Kosovo claimed that Serbia had sent military units near the border, but these claims made by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, were rejected by the Serbian authorities.