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| British NATO troops patrolling in the north of Kosovo |
"NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that the alliance will do everything necessary to maintain stability in the Western Balkans and, for this reason, will discuss the possibility of a permanent increase in military presence in the region to keep tensions under control.
He made these comments at a press conference on the eve of the meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO member countries in Brussels, which will also be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. The meeting will focus on Russia's aggression in Ukraine and the situation in the Western Balkans.
NATO deployed additional troops to Kosovo after an armed clash between the Kosovo police and an armed group of Serbs in the northern part of the country on September 24, an event considered the most serious since Kosovo declared its independence in February 2008, VOA reports.
"We are now considering whether this increase should be longer-term, whether there is a need for new capabilities, but so far, we have taken significant steps by increasing our troop numbers. We also call on both Pristina and Belgrade to engage in good faith in the EU-mediated talks, and we believe that the proposal for the Association of Serb-majority municipalities could be a significant step forward to steer this dialogue in a more constructive direction," Secretary Stoltenberg said.
Reuters published images of British military troops patrolling a muddy road in northern Kosovo to check if anything illegal is entering the country from Serbia, following the attack two months ago.
"Currently, we are in northern Kosovo at the center of Gate One, which is an authorized border crossing point with Serbia. We are currently here on a routine patrol, which consists of understanding lifestyle patterns and information security for any illegal or suspicious activity, which is then reported to KFOR to assist them in their decision-making," said British officer Joss Gaddie.
British soldiers patrol for 18 hours to ensure that no weapons or armed individuals enter Kosovo.
Leaders of Kosovo expressed their commitment today to the membership of the Kosovo Security Force in NATO, emphasizing that this would ensure lasting peace in the region. They made these comments during a ceremony marking the Day of this force, which has transformed into the Army of Kosovo.
"In less than three years, the government of the Republic of Kosovo has more than doubled the budget for the Ministry of Defense, almost tripled investments in armaments, and more than quadrupled the training and education of our officers and soldiers abroad. Specifically, in less than 32 months, we have sent 3,459 soldiers and officers abroad," said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.