Albania Prime Minister Edie Rama called on NATO to strengthen military presence in Kosovo and ensure the security of the country's borders with Serbia. He warned that recent events of ethnic violence in Kosovo could provoke a larger Balkan conflict.
The Prime Minister believes that Kosovo's border with Serbia has lost control and has become a place for various illegal activities, such as drug and weapons smuggling, as well as the penetration of ultra-nationalists. This can lead to serious shocks in the region.
Kosovo, the former Serbian province, which has declared independence, remains a tense region where ethnic violence has flashed twice in recent months. Western countries are concerned that Russia can use the situation to ignite the conflict in the Balkans and distract from events in Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking in the capital of Northern Macedonia Skopier, stressed that NATO did not see a military threat to the Allies in the Western Balkans. However, he recognized the increase in tension, in particular in Kosovo, and reported that NATO reinforced its military presence there for 1000 additional servicemen and more powerful weapons.
When asked about the possibility of deploying additional peacekeeping forces in Kosovo, Stoltenberg said that it is possible, and the definition would depend on the development of the situation. In September, in the northern part of Kosovo there were clashes with shooting, which resulted in the killed Kosov police. Serbia rejects responsibility and does not recognize Kosovo's independence.
