NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated on Tuesday in Belgrade that the concentration of Serbian military forces near the border with Kosovo does not contribute to easing the tense situation between the two countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect both parties to reduce tensions and refrain from escalating actions,\u201d Stoltenberg said at a press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Stoltenberg arrived in Belgrade after a visit on Monday to Pristina, where he emphasized that the military alliance is considering the possibility of a permanent increase in its military presence in Kosovo following the outbreak of violence in September.<\/p>\n
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia escalated significantly on September 24 when the Kosovo Police were attacked by an armed group of Serbs in the village of Banjska in the north of the country, resulting in the death of soldier Afrim Bunjaku. Three Serbian attackers were killed in the ensuing clashes.<\/p>\n
Milan Radoji\u010di\u0107, the former deputy leader of the Serb List, the largest Serbian party in Kosovo supported by Belgrade, claimed responsibility for the September 24 attack.<\/p>\n
Serbia has deployed troops near the border with Kosovo on several occasions in the past, most recently after the Banjska attack, but withdrew its forces following diplomatic intervention from the West.<\/p>\n
Stoltenberg also stated in Belgrade that those responsible for the Banjska attack must face justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome the fact that Serbia is willing to cooperate,\u201d Stoltenberg said at a joint press conference with Vu\u010di\u0107.<\/p>\n
He added that the attack on KFOR members during the Serbian community\u2019s protest in Zvecan at the end of May was also a topic of discussion with Vu\u010di\u0107.<\/p>\n
The NATO Secretary General emphasized that he \u201cwelcomes and supports the formation of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities in Kosovo\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis would be the key to normalizing relations. I call on Belgrade and Pristina to engage in dialogue under the EU\u2019s auspices; this is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Vu\u010di\u0107: It is our job to decide where to deploy the army<\/strong><\/p>\n Responding to the West\u2019s request for Serbia not to gather its army near the Kosovo border, Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 replied that the Serbian army \u201chas never exceeded its rights and competencies\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere and how we deploy the army in accordance with the Constitution of Serbia without endangering anyone, that is our job,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Regarding the Banjska attack investigation, Vu\u010di\u0107 said he has a different view of what happened but understands NATO\u2019s and the West\u2019s demands.<\/p>\n \u201cIn accordance with local laws and regulations, we will hold accountable those who participated in criminal acts in Banjska,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Vu\u010di\u0107 praised Serbia\u2019s cooperation with NATO and the KFOR mission as good and correct.<\/p>\n Stoltenberg’s visit to the region comes amid tensions and warnings of possible conflicts.<\/p>\n A few days before Stoltenberg\u2019s visit to Kosovo, Ukraine warned that Russia is seeking to incite conflict in the Western Balkans.<\/p>\n The European Union has supported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky\u2019s stance on this issue, while the U.S. State Department told Radio Free Europe that Russia\u2019s malign influence in the Western Balkans hinders the states\u2019 path to Euro-Atlantic integration. The U.S. emphasized that this influence underscores the urgency of Washington\u2019s efforts to counter Russian influence.<\/p>\n Kosovo\u2019s Prime Minister Albin Kurti also spoke on November 19 about Russia\u2019s intention to ignite a crisis in the European Union\u2019s backyard, aiming \u201cto distract NATO\u201d.<\/p>\n Today, Stoltenberg will visit North Macedonia, a NATO member state, where he will meet with state leaders and address the country\u2019s Parliament.<\/p>\n On November 22, the NATO Secretary General will conclude his Balkan tour with a meeting with the leaders of NATO member states from the region. He will meet with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Croatian President Zoran Milanovi\u0107, Montenegro\u2019s Prime Minister Milojko Spaji\u0107, and Slovenia\u2019s Prime Minister Robert Golob.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated on Tuesday in Belgrade that the concentration of Serbian military forces near the border with Kosovo does not contribute to easing the tense situation between the two countries. \u201cI expect both parties to reduce tensions and refrain from escalating actions,\u201d Stoltenberg said at a press conference with Serbian President […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":62958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[250],"tags":[995,300,5265,150,243,151,791,301,2741,2452,787],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n