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The US links Kosovo's membership in the Partnership for Peace to progress in the dialogue

2024-10-16 20:41:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The US links Kosovo's membership in the Partnership for Peace to progress

The United States would like Kosovo to become part of the NATO program, the Partnership for Peace, but it must first make progress in the dialogue facilitated by the European Union, the American ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith, said on Wednesday.

The Partnership for Peace is a NATO program aimed at building trust between NATO member states and other states in Europe.

It also serves as a path for those countries that aim to one day become part of NATO.

"However, we appreciate the Partnership for Peace program. We are pleased to have seen great interest from Kosovo to join the Partnership for Peace. But I think that our friends in Kosovo have heard our calls loud and clear. We want them to continue to invest in the dialogue facilitated by the European Union," said Smith.

Speaking to journalists on the eve of the meeting of Defense Ministers of NATO countries, Smith said that such a commitment is strongly supported by the allies in both NATO and the EU.

"However, at this moment our focus is on increasing stability in the region and by doing this we seek progress in the initiative led by the EU", said Ambassador Smith.

Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement at the beginning of last year on the way to normalize relations, but about a year and a half later, they are criticized for not implementing it.

Kosovo has constantly expressed interest in becoming part of the Partnership for Peace, while also aiming for NATO membership as a strategic goal of the country.

Decisions in NATO, including those to accept countries in the Partnership for Peace program, are taken unanimously by all member countries.

Out of 32 NATO member countries, 28 of them have recognized Kosovo as an independent state, while four (Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain) have not yet.

From the Western Balkans region, only Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are in the Partnership for Peace, while the other countries have already become members of NATO.

Currently, NATO is present in Kosovo through its mission, KFOR./REL