Stoltenberg and Hoti talked about regional security in NATO HQ

09.09.2020

Avdullah Hoti visits NATO and meets with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg; Photo credit: NATO

BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met Kosovo* Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti for the first time at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday for talks on current developments in the Western Balkans.

Secretary-General Stoltenberg welcomed the latest round of EU-sponsored talks between Belgrade and Pristina which took place in Brussels on Monday, underscoring that dialogue is the only way to achieve a lasting political solution in the Western Balkans. Stoltenberg and Hoti also discussed the agreement reached in Washington to normalize economic relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Stoltenberg stressed that NATO is firmly committed to stability in the Western Balkans through the 3,500-strong KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo*. He added that KFOR’s mandate remains unchanged: to keep a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all the people in Kosovo*, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999.

Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary-General welcomed that NATO Allies and partners have already provided substantial medical support to assist the institutions in Kosovo* and that KFOR is also providing direct support in the distribution of supplies. He added that NATO is now looking into how the Alliance can further support Kosovo* in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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(*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.)