Jamie Shea, the former spokesperson of NATO during the 1999 bombing campaign, has said that KFOR should remain in Kosovo until the country becomes a member of NATO.
He mentioned the “noise” coming from Serbia as one of the reasons why these forces should continue to stay in the country.
“KFOR is still necessary because we still have tensions in Kosovo. We had the incident in Banjska three years ago, and we also have Serbia which from time to time makes threatening moves by deploying military troops along the border with Kosovo, so we still need KFOR there,” Shea said on Klan Kosova.
“This is to ensure security not only for Kosovars but also for the Serb minority in the north, because this peacekeeping force protects everyone. I believe we can adjust the level of forces depending on the security situation.”
“But KFOR troops should remain in Kosovo until the day Kosovo becomes a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, NATO. This would lead to a smoother transition. And as long as KFOR is there, Kosovo is on NATO’s radar, which I think is important for Kosovo to receive the attention it needs from Brussels.”
According to Shea, KFOR’s presence also provides opportunities for the Kosovo Security Force to train and further develop in line with NATO standards.
“The presence of KFOR in Kosovo offers the Kosovo Security Force valuable opportunities for training and exercises so that operational compatibility with NATO can be achieved. It’s like someone who is a tennis player and has a coach living nearby. This will speed up Kosovo’s integration into NATO, which I welcome.”
“KFOR is a mission that is not difficult for NATO to maintain in terms of the number of troops and costs, because this mission has done an excellent job in preserving stability in the Western Balkans. Some elements of this mission should remain until Kosovo joins NATO.”
