KFOR Commander meets Serbian Army Chief in Belgrade

The Commander of the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, Enrico Barduani, met on Tuesday with the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Milan Mojsilović, in Belgrade.

The meeting in the Serbian capital came about five months after a previous meeting between the two sides, in October 2024.

KFOR did not provide details on what was discussed at this meeting, but only wrote in X that “they exchanged views on the security situation and made an assessment of their respective efforts.”

Meanwhile, the Serbian Armed Forces website said that the Serbian army chief asked the KFOR commander to ensure "a safe environment and freedom of movement for everyone, especially the Serbian community."

According to a statement released by the Serbian military, the parties agreed that the security situation in Kosovo remains "unstable and sensitive."

"Regular contacts at all levels as well as joint activities should continue to reduce tensions on the ground and prevent the escalation of the crisis," the statement said.

KFOR said that this meeting was part of the KFOR Commander's regular meetings with his key interlocutors in the Western Balkans region.

During his visit to Belgrade, he also met with diplomatic representatives of France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the USA and the European Union in Serbia.

"He informed them about KFOR's activities and the mission's cooperation with the international community, including its unwavering support for the EU-mediated dialogue for the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina," the statement issued by KFOR said.

NATO has had a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo since the end of the war in 1999.

Currently, there are over 4,600 troops from 29 countries deployed in Kosovo as part of KFOR. The largest number is from Italy, followed by the United States, Hungary and Turkey.

This mission has increased its presence in Kosovo during 2023, following increased tensions in the Serb-majority north.

KFOR is the third security responder in Kosovo, after the Kosovo Police and the European Union rule of law mission, EULEX. This mission is, among other things, responsible for the security of the border line between Kosovo and Serbia. REL (A2 Televizion)