NATO explained how they will counteract Russia in the Balkans
The North Atlantic Alliance must forestall the growing influence of the Russian Federation in the Balkans.
This was stated by the high-ranking NATO representative for Russia and the Western Balkans Robert Pszczel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“If you promote the rule of law, if you have effective ways to fight corruption and strengthen democratic institutions, it is good for both citizens and the state. This makes it difficult for all outsiders who want to exert negative influence to try to bribe, misinform and therefore apply bad standards,” Pszczel said during a discussion on Russian influence in the Western Balkans organized by the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies as part of the seventh NATO week .
At the same time, he emphasized that the issue of the deployment of NATO forces in Kosovo KFOR will not be reviewed after the creation of the army of this unrecognized state.
“Allies are rethinking their relationship with the Kosovo Security Forces, but this certainly should not lead to speculation about the future of KFOR, which has persisted for 20 years. KFOR is called upon to protect all communities in Kosovo and contribute to the achievement of stability and security. We are pleased that KFOR enjoys the support and appreciation of all communities, including our partners in Belgrade,” said the alliance representative.
At the same time, according to him, NATO does not impose membership on Bosnia and Herzegovina. Let us recall that due to the principled position of the leadership of the Republika Srpska, the adoption of an action plan for NATO membership was excluded from the agenda of the Council of Ministers nine times.
“In December 2018, we did something that all 29 allies agreed upon - we proposed to the government in Sarajevo a one-year national program, which could be the first step towards an action plan for joining the alliance if BiH wishes to move forward towards NATO integration. This is just a suggestion. The government of BiH and its citizens must decide whether they want this,” Pszczel said.
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