For more than two decades, NATO has led the Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo to establish lasting peace and security in the region.
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| Nato Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana (right) meets EU Special Representative for Belgrade-Pristina Miroslav Lajcak during talks on Kosovo, June 14. (Source: NATO) |
On June 14, Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mircea Geoana met with Ambassador Miroslav Lajcak, Special Representative of the European Union (EU) for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan issues, on the occasion of the EU official's recent visits to Belgrade and Pristina.
Ambassador Lajcak informed the NATO Deputy Secretary General about recent developments in northern Kosovo and the EU's current diplomatic efforts on 13 June.
Tensions have risen in recent months as Serbia refuses to recognise Kosovo's sovereignty.
Meanwhile, for more than two decades, NATO has led the Kosovo Peacekeeping Mission, or KFOR, as part of an international effort to establish lasting peace and security in the region.
The mission of KFOR, currently supported by 4,200 troops from 27 NATO member states, is to ensure the safety and freedom of movement of all communities residing in the region.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Secretary General Geoana affirmed that the long-term cooperation between NATO and the EU in the region "continues to make a difference".
According to Mr. Geoana, the leaders of NATO, KFOR, NATO member states as well as the EU and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have been working tirelessly to de-escalate the situation in Northern Kosovo and bring both sides to the negotiating table within the framework of the EU-led dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
Deputy Secretary General Geoana stressed that NATO has been committed to stability in the Western Balkans for decades and the KFOR mission on the ground with more than 4,000 soldiers is the clearest demonstration of that commitment.
The NATO-EU dialogue comes after Britain extended its commitment to KFOR until at least 2026, as well as 500 additional KFOR troops being deployed to Kosovo from Türkiye.
The NATO-led KFOR mission is taking all necessary measures to maintain a safe environment and freedom of movement for the people living in Kosovo, while continuing to act in accordance with its mandate given by the United Nations on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999.
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