NATO demands full responsibility from Serbia for armed attack in Banjska

NATO is paying special attention to the Western Balkans, given the worrying developments of recent years, a senior NATO official has stated, emphasizing that the primary responsibility for maintaining stability in the region falls on local leaders.

Speaking to journalists from the Western Balkans in Brussels, the NATO official highlighted the strategic importance of the region and stressed that the Alliance remains deeply committed to long-term stability. He stressed that NATO “will not allow a security vacuum to be created in the Western Balkans,” N1 writes.

"We are seeing some worrying trends in the region, especially in recent years, which require careful monitoring of developments," the official said, recalling the attacks that occurred in Kosovo during 2023. According to him, these incidents have caused serious concerns among NATO allies, as their impact is not limited to Kosovo, but may have wider regional consequences.

In addition to security incidents, the NATO official also mentioned a number of other worrying factors in the Western Balkans, including disinformation campaigns, hybrid threats, political tensions, divisive rhetoric, as well as the lack of concrete progress in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

"We see no risk of escalation, at least for the moment, but there are many reasons to remain vigilant, engaged and to continue to carefully monitor the situation. This is exactly what NATO is doing and will continue to do," he said.

The official also stressed that developments in the Western Balkans do not occur in isolation. "The region is not immune to external trends and threats and, due to political and security sensitivities, may be even more vulnerable. For this reason, we believe that NATO, as a stabilizing actor, and other international actors have reason to be even more cautious and engaged," he said.

According to the official, NATO, in cooperation with the European Union and the international community, continues to support peace and stability in the Western Balkans, but these objectives cannot be achieved through international engagement alone.

"The primary responsibility remains with local leaders. Politicians and leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo have a direct responsibility for maintaining stability in their countries," he said, calling on regional leaders to engage constructively to achieve prosperity, lasting peace, stability, as well as progress in reforms and integration processes.

These statements were made ahead of the meeting of Defense Ministers of NATO member countries, which is expected to be held on February 12.

The NATO official also stressed that Serbia remains an important partner of the Alliance for regional stability and that strengthening relations between the parties is in the mutual interest. However, he underlined that NATO demands full responsibility for the attack on KFOR members in May 2023 in Zvecan, as well as for the armed attack in Banjska in September of the same year.

According to him, there are regular communications between NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, including on issues related to security incidents in Kosovo.

The official recalled that after the events of 2023, the number of KFOR members increased by about 1.000 additional troops. However, due to the improvement of the security situation, the forces are being gradually reduced and are returning to the level that was before 2023.

Currently, the KFOR mission consists of more than 4.600 members from 33 different countries, who, according to the official, make "a tangible contribution to peace and stability in the region."

However, he clearly emphasized that the solution to the problems in the Western Balkans “is not military, but political and through dialogue.” For this reason, NATO supports the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia under the mediation of the European Union, hoping that there will soon be concrete progress, as this is essential for the long-term stability of the region.

"It is not only the responsibility of the international community, but also of actors in the region to take the necessary steps and make the necessary compromises to achieve a lasting solution," the NATO official concluded.

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