Smith: NATO worried about increasing signs of instability and some hotspots in the Western Balkans

"We will continue to send messages to our friends in the region that the only path to normalization is through dialogue led by the EU and which has strong support across NATO," Smith said, stressing the necessity for steps toward de-escalation.

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Members of KFOR in Kosovo, Photo: Reuters
Members of KFOR in Kosovo, Photo: Reuters
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

American ambassador to NATO, Julian Smith, expressed her concern about the growing tensions in the Western Balkans.

"All NATO allies are closely monitoring the situation on the ground in the Western Balkans. We are concerned about the increasing signs of instability and some hotspots where we have seen an increase in violence as a result," said Smith ahead of the meeting of defense ministers of the alliance countries on October 11 and 12.

On the occasion of NATO's recent decision to increase its presence in Kosovo, the American ambassador confirmed that the NATO command for Europe is considering whether KFOR has the appropriate level of capability and readiness to prepare to deal with potential contingencies. She added that the alliance is ready to help if additional NATO forces are needed in Kosovo.

"We will continue to send messages to our friends in the region that the only path to normalization is through dialogue led by the EU and which has strong support across NATO," Smith said, stressing the necessity for steps toward de-escalation.

NATO increased the presence of soldiers in Kosovo as part of the KFOR peacekeeping mission after the September 24 attack in the village of Banjska near Zvečani in the north of Kosovo.

The Kosovo Police was attacked by a group of armed and uniformed persons. One Kosovo policeman was killed then, and three Serbian attackers were killed later in the exchange of fire. Official Pristina accused Belgrade and President Aleksandar Vučić of the attack in Banjska, which Serbia denied.

Milan Radoičić, former vice president of the largest party of Kosovo Serbs, Serbian List, took responsibility for the organization and attack in Banjska. He was detained and interrogated on October 3, and a day later the High Court made a decision to release him from custody, with a measure prohibiting him from leaving the territory of Serbia.

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