Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Albin Kurti of Kosovo at NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (17 August 2022). In a joint press conference, the Secretary General welcomed the recent easing of tensions in the north of Kosovo and urged all parties to “act with restraint and avoid unhelpful rhetoric”.
Mr Stoltenberg further called on Belgrade and Pristina to “engage positively and constructively” in the upcoming round of EU-facilitated talks on Thursday, calling the dialogue “the only way towards sustainable peace”. He added: “it is an opportunity for Kosovo to demonstrate that it is a responsible actor within the Euro-Atlantic community.”
The Secretary General reiterated NATO’s full commitment to its peacekeeping mission and mandate in Kosovo. Since 1999, under its mandate from the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) has been providing a safe and secure environment and guaranteeing freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo. “KFOR’s neutrality is central to its mission success”, said Mr Stoltenberg, “and KFOR is ready to intervene if stability is jeopardised”.
More than 3,700 troops currently serve in KFOR, from 20 NATO Allies and 7 partners.