Stoltenberg: I believe the proposal for the CSM could be a way forward in the dialogue

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during a press conference in Brussels after the Alliance's foreign ministers meeting, reiterated that the proposal for the Community of Serb Municipalities could be a way forward in finding a solution and making progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

Stoltenberg once again emphasized the serious incidents in Kosovo in recent months.

"I have just visited Kosovo, and what we saw this spring was an attack on NATO peacekeepers – 93 NATO soldiers were wounded; some of them got life-changing injuries, which is entirely unacceptable," Stoltenberg said.

He also recalled the events in Banjska, where four people were killed.

"This highlights the challenges we face in Kosovo and the importance of de-escalation by all sides, refraining from actions that could further increase tensions, and abstaining from any inflammatory rhetoric that could increase tensions. That was my message in meetings in Pristina and Belgrade," Stoltenberg said, adding that Kosovo was a good example of cooperation between the EU and NATO.

"We have added more NATO troops to our presence in Kosovo after the recent events, and now there are approximately 5,000 NATO soldiers present. I believe that the proposal for the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities could be a way forward to try to find a solution and make progress within the EU-facilitated dialogue," Stoltenberg said.