Shekerinska: Kosovo was not exposed to security threats from Serbian drones

Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance Radmila Shekerinska dismissed the claims made by representatives of Kosovo’s institutions that Serbia violated Kosovo’s airspace using drones, reports Klan Kosova.

In an interview for Klan Kosova, Shekerinska said she could confirm that there were no security threats in that regard.

“We do not comment on reports of this kind. But what is certain is that KFOR is indeed responsible for monitoring Kosovo’s airspace. And I can only confirm that there were no security threats in that regard,” she said.

She added that the fact that Kosovo had not faced any security threats was a positive development, noting that this was information they were “more than ready to share with the public.”

Shekerinska stated that the Western Balkans continues to be a region of strategic importance for the Alliance, adding that through KFOR’s military presence in Kosovo they are trying to support the political dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.

“We are demonstrating our commitment to security in Kosovo and to the stability of the Western Balkans region. We believe that the Western Balkans remains a region of strategic importance for the Alliance. And our numbers in KFOR truly show that these are not just words. We are genuinely committed to implementing the UN resolution, which was the foundation of our presence there. And we believe that through our military presence, we are trying to support the political dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. Because despite the military presence, we firmly believe that the path to stability is political. And we want to support that,” she said.

On the question of Kosovo’s membership in NATO, she stated that this is an issue for member states that are prepared to support such a decision.

“Membership questions are an issue for the country seeking to join and for all 32 allies within the Alliance who are ready to support that decision,” she said.

Shekerinska also stated that NATO has used every opportunity to demand accountability from Serbia regarding the Banjska incident and the violence against KFOR.

“We firmly believe that dialogue is the only path toward genuine and sustainable security in the region. Of course, we condemned the violence in 2023—both the violence against KFOR and the Banjska incident. And we used every opportunity to call for accountability. But nothing can replace a genuine, substantive, and meaningful political dialogue. And that is the choice that Belgrade and Pristina must make,” she said.

She concluded by saying that NATO supports the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, noting that the Alliance maintains frequent and continuous communication with the EU representative for dialogue.