TIRANA, August 10 – The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg has made comments on stability in the Western Balkans as well as about the topic of the construction of the new Port of Durrës, where the Albanian government has proposed the establishment of a NATO naval base.
In an interview for the Montenegrin daily “Vijesti”, commenting on the construction of the naval base in the Adriatic Sea, according to him, NATO is negotiating with Albania, but also on other possible investments and the deployment of troops in the region.
Also, Stoltenberg said that the new Strategic Concept of NATO, approved at the Madrid Summit, once again confirms the strategy of the Western Balkans, which is important for the Alliance.
“NATO will continue to promote stability, security and cooperation in the region, including the daily efforts of KFOR, our headquarters in Sarajevo and our office in Belgrade,” Stoltenberg said, adding that security and stability in the Western Balkans is important for NATO and peace and stability in Europe.
Asked if he was concerned about the long-term stability of Kosovo, Stoltenberg said he discussed with the leadership of Pristina and Belgrade about the tensions in Kosovo and added that both sides should remain calm, avoid unilateral actions and engage constructively in dialogue mediated by the EU.
“In accordance with its mandate at the UN, the KFOR mission is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to intervene if stability is threatened. Our mission is focused on providing a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all the people of Kosovo,” said Stolternberg.
The NATO Secretary General said that the Alliance continues to fully support the EU-mediated dialogue and calls on all parties to continue the negotiations because they are of key importance for regional peace and security. /Argumentum.al
