NATO Secretary General Mark Rute stated that the Alliance is following security developments in the Western Balkans with special attention, stressing that NATO is actively present in the region through its missions and operations.
Speaking to journalists at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on the eve of the meeting of the defense ministers of the member states, Rutte pointed out that the Alliance is strongly engaged through the KFOR mission in Kosovo, as well as through activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He emphasized that NATO is closely monitoring the development of events in the region and said that the Alliance will not allow the creation of a security vacuum in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Speaking about the situation in Kosovo, Rutte stated that NATO still expects to determine responsibility for the events in Banjska, as well as for other incidents from 2023.
The defense ministers of the member countries are meeting in Brussels as part of the preparations for the next NATO summit, which is planned for July in Ankara, where the leaders should build on the decisions made at last year’s summit.
