NATO chief Mark Rutte has said that the alliance is closely following developments in the Western Balkans and of course in Kosovo.
And when it comes to Kosovo, he mentioned the fact that NATO is awaiting accountability from official Belgrade for the Banjska events in 2023.
The NATO chief said this at a press conference at NATO headquarters, ahead of the Defense Ministers' meeting to be held on February 12 in Brussels.
"I myself, but also as an alliance, am in close contact with the Serbian president. We are still waiting for his accountability for what happened in 2023 in Banjska and other events in 2023. So, basically there is not much new to report, but it should be emphasized that we follow the events closely," Rutte said, reports the Telegraph.
He added that "through KFOR and other Alliance activities in the Western Balkans and, of course, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also, of course, in Kosovo, we are very involved and we follow things closely."
"We have five allies in the Western Balkans who are constantly updating the collective alliance, including Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, but also, of course, Slovenia, Croatia," Rutte continued.
- YouTube youtu.be
As he added, NATO will never accept a security vacuum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so it is closely following events there as well.
Otherwise, on Thursday, February 12, the Defense Ministers of the allied countries will gather in NATO headquarters in Brussels, within the framework of the next ministerial meeting.
The meeting will be chaired by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
A NATO official has stated that the Western Balkans is a region of strategic importance for the Alliance. /Telegrafi/
