NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the Western military alliance has certain concerns regarding the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also with relations between Serbia and Kosovo, but that it will not allow any security vacuum to occur in the region.
The key issues in the Western Balkans region are the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and relations between Kosovo and Serbia, Rutte said during a debate at the European Parliament’s Foreign Policy and Defense Committee in Brussels.
“Of course, we have certain concerns, especially regarding the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also with relations between Serbia and Kosovo,” said the NATO chief.
He added that the Alliance “will not allow any security vacuum to occur, neither in Bosnia and Herzegovina, nor anywhere else in the Western Balkans region.”
“However, we are in contact with Kosovo, but also with Serbia, to ensure that the elections that will be held later in February in Kosovo do not lead to destabilization. This is crucial. In the Western Balkans region, we really have to remain committed to the neighborhood, because it is a crucial neighborhood for us,” Rutte said.
The NATO Secretary General stressed that in these dangerous times it is imperative for the European Union and NATO to strengthen cooperation.
According to him, Russia is trying to destabilize the alliance’s member states and the European bloc.
“We are deeply concerned about security in Europe. We are not at war, but we are not at peace either,” he said, demanding increased investment in security and defense by member states.
According to the previous plan, all member states of the alliance must invest at least two percent of their gross domestic product in defense. Although this agreement was reached more than a decade ago, this goal has still not been achieved by all member states, despite the fact that defense investments have increased since the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Two-thirds of NATO member states now allocate at least two percent of their GDP to defense. But that is not nearly enough. Much more is needed for adequate defense,” the NATO chief stressed, AA writes.
