A two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers ended today in Brussels, where several important issues were discussed, including the situation in Kosovo.
The meeting at the headquarters of the Alliance was chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The main topic of the first day of the meeting was the continuation of support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia, and today the events in the Middle East and the situation in Kosovo, i.e. the Western Balkans, were discussed.
Senior NATO officials confirmed that the Western Balkans region is strategically important for the NATO alliance, which, as they said, is focused on the region even while Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
NATO therefore believes that violence in Kosovo, such as the attack on the police at the end of September, carries the risk of returning the region to the 1990s.
The Alliance reminds that they recently sent additional troops to Kosovo, which now number more than 4,500 soldiers on the ground, clearly stating that they have additional reserve forces available at a high level of readiness that they can call upon in case of need.
NATO officials once again emphasized that they fully support the dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina with the mediation of the European Union (EU) and believe that without it there is no permanent security in Kosovo and stability in the region as a whole.
The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
As Anadolu Agency journalist learns, NATO officials in Brussels once again emphasized that they strongly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and called on all political leaders in the country to refrain from secessionist rhetoric.
They also called on the country’s leaders to take responsibility and ensure that there are no more threats to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Alliance officials reminded that Bosnia and Herzegovina has Euro-Atlantic aspirations and has been undertaking reform efforts for many years, and that NATO strongly supports these efforts, especially with the package for building the country’s defense capacities.
NATO states that at the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania in July 2023, all member states of the Alliance reiterated their strong support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a practical sense, as well as their support for central state institutions.
NATO officials said that before possible membership, Bosnia and Herzegovina has important reforms to implement and that it must further strengthen its central institutions.
Facing challenges
At a meeting in Brussels, the defense ministers of the NATO member states discussed the numerous challenges facing the North Atlantic Alliance over the past two days.
On Wednesday, a meeting of the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine was first held, and in the afternoon, a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council was held, where specific support for Kyiv in defense against Russia was clearly expressed. On Thursday, a meeting of the North Atlantic Council was held as part of the session of defense ministers.
