NATO official: We will not allow the security of the Western Balkans to be threatened

The visit of NATO’s Secretary General to the Western Balkans demonstrates that the region remains high on NATO’s agenda and is of strategic importance, as reiterated by our leaders at last July’s summit, a senior NATO official in Brussels stated ahead of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting, which begins tomorrow.

The NATO official emphasized that "the security of the Western Balkans is vital for the stability of the Alliance, and we will not allow it to be threatened."

He reminds that this week, foreign ministers will meet to discuss ongoing preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague at the end of June.

“They are expected to share their views on maintaining momentum in increasing defense spending and revitalizing industrial production in the defense sector. We also anticipate discussions on our continued support for Ukraine and how we will further develop our already well-established cooperation on issues of mutual interest in various domains with partners from the Indo-Pacific region (Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea),” the NATO official stated.

He notes that this week’s NATO foreign ministers' meeting comes just weeks after two significant visits by the NATO Secretary General to the Western Balkans.

“He visited Sarajevo and, along with the North Atlantic Council, our personnel in Kosovo, who serve in KFOR and the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team (NALT). Both visits were yet another tangible demonstration that the Western Balkans remains high on NATO’s agenda. It is a region of strategic importance, as reaffirmed by our leaders at last July’s NATO summit. The security of the Western Balkans is crucial for our stability, and we will not allow it to be compromised,” the NATO official stated.