Osmani discusses with KFOR commander the security and stability of Kosovo

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met on Tuesday with the commander of the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, Enrico Barduani, with whom she said she discussed the security and stability of the country and the region, as well as the coordination of activities on the eve of the announced visit of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to Kosovo.

Rutte is expected to visit Kosovo on March 11, for the first time since taking office.

During his visit to Kosovo, Rutte is expected to be accompanied by the ambassadors of NATO member countries, which are members of the North Atlantic Council.

The Kosovo Presidency said in a statement that during Osman's meeting with the KFOR commander, the president mentioned the role of this mission in maintaining security and peace in Kosovo.

"Our continent is facing a complex geopolitical situation, which requires close cooperation and permanent coordination with our allies," Osmani was quoted as saying, according to the statement.

Weeks ago, Rutte said that stability in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia is in everyone's interest, and he sees no reason to believe that there could be any dramatic change in terms of American commitment to the Western military alliance.

He made these comments in a discussion with students in Slovakia, after being asked if he saw a possibility of a resumption of the conflict in Kosovo, as there have already been reports in some media that the new American policy could result in the withdrawal of the military presence.

In addition to Kosovo, the reduction or withdrawal of US military troops has also been rumored in several European countries, but the administration of US President Donald Trump has not confirmed anything like this.

NATO has had a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo since the end of the war in 1999.

Currently, there are over 4,600 troops from 29 countries deployed in Kosovo as part of KFOR. The largest number is from Italy, followed by the United States, Hungary and Turkey.

This mission has increased its presence in Kosovo during 2023, following increased tensions in the Serb-majority north.

KFOR is the third security responder in Kosovo, after the Kosovo Police and the European Union rule of law mission, EULEX. This mission is, among other things, responsible for the security of the border line between Kosovo and Serbia./REL