PRISTINA
President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga asked Gen. Philip Breedlove, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, during a meeting in Pristina, to find the way of establishing official relations between NATO and Kosovo, the statement from the president’s office said.
Jahjaga-Gen. Breedlove meeting focused on the local elections and ongoing dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.
Jahjaga said that Kosovo was now in a sensitive and very important phase of normalization of relations with the countries in the region which required additional NATO engagement and its peace forces – KFOR – in order to create security milieu that would help the process.
Gen. Breedlove said that KFOR was ready to continue its activities in Kosovo.
NATO has been present in Kosovo since 1999. Today, some 5,000 troops from 31 NATO countries are part of the KFOR.
Kosovo aims at becoming NATO member. However, not all NATO member states recognized Kosovo's independence.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
