Munsch: Unilateral actions outside the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue escalate tensions

2024-10-12 00:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The commander of US Navy Europe and NATO forces based in Naples, US Admiral Stuart B. Munsch, said on Friday that governments acting unilaterally outside the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue needlessly escalate domestic and regional tensions. .

He made these comments during the ceremony of the change of command of the NATO peacekeeping forces. The Major General of the Italian Army, Enrico Barduani, succeeds the Turkish Major General Ozkan Ulutash in this post.

Admiral Munsch said that the dialogue is the framework for solving the issues between Kosovo and Serbia.

"Acting outside of this dialogue, acting without real commitment to this dialogue or arguing about what should be included or excluded from this dialogue, are actions that will not achieve any meaningful security. Furthermore, governments acting unilaterally outside of this dialogue needlessly escalate domestic and regional tensions and unnecessarily damage their reputation as reliable international partners," he said.

Kosovo has come under criticism from Western diplomacy for what have been described as unilateral and uncoordinated actions in the north, where the authorities closed Serbian parallel municipalities appointed by Belgrade, which Pristina considers illegal.

In early August, authorities closed the Serbian Post Office in the north and unveiled plans to open the main bridge over the Iber River in Mitrovica to car traffic, amid criticism from the West and reactions from Belgrade and Serbian political representatives in the north.

Admiral Munsch said that NATO's policy for the bridge over the Iber River is not to open it at this time and that the issue should be addressed in the dialogue between the parties.

"It's a political issue at this point, not a military issue. And the reason why it will not be open now is because of the possibility that it could cause a risk to the safe environment and the freedom of movement of all communities in Kosovo", he said, calling on the governments of Kosovo and Serbia to commit to a safe environment for all.

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani said that the institutions of the country are committed to work together with NATO in the defense of the country and peace.

"But at the same time in the defense of our sovereignty, our territorial integrity, our independence as well as the principles of the rule of law," she said.

The European Union as well as the United States have called on the parties to choose open issues in the framework of the talks in Brussels and avoid actions that could incite tensions. However, the 13-year talks for the normalization of relations have made little progress, while an agreement on which the parties agreed last year has not even begun to be implemented./ Voa