NATO takes the events in northern Kosovo very seriously and NATO?’s peace-keeping mission (KFOR) is taking all necessary measures to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said.
“KFOR?’s commitment to implementation of its mandate is unwavering, as demonstrated by the recent additional deployment of 500 troops,” she said in a statement Sunday.
The spokesperson reminded once again all parties of their obligations to KFOR under the Military Technical Agreement, including respect for the Administrative Boundary Line, procedures for the Kosovo Police, and the 2013 Agreement on the deployment of Kosovo Security Forces to the north.
“These obligations are designed to ensure coordinated action, avoid escalation and preserve a safe and secure environment,” she added.
According to media reports, the latest escalation comes after Kosovo Thursday blamed Serbia of seizing of three Kosovo policemen and said it would tighten security at the border with Serbia.
Kosovo?’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti criticized KFOR for failing to take a position on the incident.
On his part, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the Kosovo police officers were arrested deep inside Serbia and asked what they were doing there armed with machine guns.
Tensions in Kosovo flared up in May, after Kosovo police seized local municipality buildings in northern Kosovo, where ethnic Serbs are in majority, to install ethnic Albanian mayors who were elected in a local election in April which was boycotted by the Serbs.
The 4,000-strong KFOR is in charge of monitoring Kosovo?’s border crossings in the north.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but Serbia has not recognised its independence and insists that it is part of Serbia.
Source: Kuwait News Agency