KFOR: Meeting between Major General Ulutas and Albin Kurti did not take place

KFOR announced that the meeting between KFOR Commander Major General Ozkan Ulutas and Albin Kurti did not take place today due to unforeseen circumstances, adding that the Commander remained in close contact with his key interlocutors, including representatives of institutions in Kosovo.

KFOR stressed that it continued its daily activities throughout Kosovo aimed at maintaining a safe and secure environment for all communities, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999.

Caretaker Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said earlier today that he would meet with KFOR Commander Major General Ozkan Ulutas in the afternoon to discuss, among other issues, the opening of the Ibar Bridge.

"This afternoon, I also have a meeting at the Government with the KFOR General, Commander Ozkan Ulutas. We are therefore in daily communication, both the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to ensure that everything proceeds peacefully and safely," Kurti said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reacted to the announcement, saying that Serbia was thereby being sent a signal that there was no point in negotiating, given that the Brussels Agreement had still not been implemented.

The Serbian President had previously sent a letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressing deep concern over KFOR's decision to withdraw from the Ibar Bridge and include the Kosovo Police in the "security architecture" around Visoki Decani Monastery.

He stressed that the move was premature and that KFOR's security assessments had failed to adequately recognize all risks to the security of the Serbian and other non-Albanian populations in northern Kosovo.

KFOR will maintain a strong and visible presence in northern Kosovo "for the benefit of all communities, including the Serbian community," an unnamed NATO official said on Friday. Regarding President Vucic's letter to Mark Rutte, the Alliance said that "the NATO Secretary General is in regular contact with President Vucic."