NATO Deputy Secretary General and North Atlantic Council visit NATO-led KFOR mission and the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team in Kosovo

The North Atlantic Council and the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Mircea Geoană, paid a visit to the NATO-led KFOR deployment and the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team in Kosovo today (07 July 2022).

The KFOR Commander, Major General Ferenc Kajári, and the Director of the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team in Kosovo, Brigadier General Joachim Hoppe, met with the ambassadors of the 30 NATO Allies and the KFOR troop-contributing partners.

Additionally, they had discussions with the leaders of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, the European Union Rule of Law Mission, and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.

The NATO Deputy Secretary General met with Ms. Vjosa Osmani and Mr. Goran Raki in Pristina for bilateral talks during his visit.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Geoană highlighted that the new Strategic Concept agreed last week in Madrid emphasises the Alliance’s strategic importance of the Western Balkans region. He emphasised NATO’s decades-long commitment to peace and stability in the Western Balkans region.

“Our KFOR mission is the most tangible demonstration of this commitment,“ he said, noting that under its mandate from the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999, KFOR provides a safe and secure environment and guarantees freedom of movement for the benefit of all communities in Kosovo.

“KFOR continues to carry out its mission, by working in close cooperation with a range of actors, including the United Nations, the European Union Rule of Law Mission, the Security Organizations in Kosovo, and the Serbian Armed Forces,” he emphasised.

In order to find a solution that respects the rights of all people and can result in a long-lasting peace, Mr. Geoana emphasised that NATO fully supports the normalisation process between Belgrade and Pristina. This is because the EU is facilitating the discussion between the two cities.

He continued by saying that NATO is still steadfastly committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment and to greater stability in the Western Balkans. Russia’s ruthless invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally altered the European security architecture, he said.