NATO Official: Partnership with Serbia Is an Investment in Stability, but We Expect Accountability

Radmila Sekerinska (Photo: Print Screen YouTube)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska said during a NATO summit in The Hague that the Alliance's partnership with Serbia was an investment in a secure and stable Western Balkan region, but reiterated that the Allies expected accountability for attacks in Kosovo in 2023.

In an interview with BETA on the sidelines of the NATO summit on June 27, Sekerinska said the Alliance had repeatedly called on Serbia to prosecute those responsible for the events in Kosovo two years ago - referring to an attack on KFOR personnel outside the Zvecan municipal building in May 2023, and a clash between an armed group of Serbs and Kosovo police in the village of Banjska in September that same year.

"The authorities in Serbia told us every time that it was important to them, too, because it affected Serbia's reputation and credibility. We believe that the KFOR mission contributes to regional security, and what we've heard from Belgrade is nearly identical. The Allies have invested heavily in KFOR - not just financially, but by providing troops as well. They want those troops to be safe, and they want to see their long-standing investment in this NATO mission pay off. And they expect accountability from our partners, including Serbia," Sekerinska said.

The NATO official noted that the North Atlantic Alliance, particularly KFOR, was maintaining good cooperation and communication with the Serbian armed forces, adding that it contributed to the stability and security of all communities in Kosovo. When asked about the future of relations between the two sides and the possibility of Serbia joining NATO, Sekerinska said that her organization supported countries in choosing their own path and respected their sovereign decisions.