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Bloomberg
Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti is calling for a bolstered presence of Nato peacekeeping forces in his country.
“A massive bolstering of Nato troops and military equipment in our country would improve security and peace in Kosovo and the entire West-Balkan
region,†Kurti said in an interview with German newspaper WELT.
Following recent tensions between Kosovo and neighboring Serbia, the Western Balkan nation wants to increase the number of Nato troops on the ground from the current deployment of almost 3,800 troops. The Kosovo Force (KFOR) has been present in Kosovo since 1999.
“An increase in the number of soldiers in the Nato-supplied peacekeeping force KFOR would support our efforts in defense,†Kurti said, citing an accumulation of Serbian forces and artillery on the border, as well as intensifying rhetoric from Russia and Serbia as among the reasons for needing more Nato troops in Kosovo.
Kosovo has a predominantly ethnic Albanian population of 1.8 million, but it includes more than 100,000 Serbs. Tensions flared in August after authorities in Kosovo sought to force the minority Serbs to switch to car plates and personal documents issued by the Kosovar government rather than the Serbian one.