Ulutas: KFOR optimization to be gradual, Western Balkans of strategic importance to NATO

KFOR Commander Major General Ozkan Ulutas said today during a briefing to the North Atlantic Council that the objective of optimizing the mission in Kosovo was to ensure that it remained fit for purpose and capable of responding to a range of security scenarios.

During his final briefing, which he joined remotely, Ulutas updated participants on KFOR’s ongoing efforts to help maintain a safe and secure environment for all people in Kosovo and freedom of movement.

He noted that these efforts were being carried out in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999, in close cooperation with the Kosovo Police and EULEX in their respective roles as security actors.

According to NATO’s statement, Ulutas presented his assessment of efforts to optimize KFOR’s posture, which stem from the “continued improvement of the security situation in Kosovo.”

“The optimization process aims to ensure that the mission remains fit for purpose. It is conditions-based, is being implemented gradually and will be fully reversible should relevant security developments require it. KFOR will remain appropriately manned, equipped, trained and organized to deliver, and will retain the capabilities, readiness and flexibility required to respond to the full range of security scenarios,” Ulutas said.

NATO’s statement noted that the Western Balkans was a region of strategic importance to the Alliance.

“NATO’s commitment to supporting lasting security in Kosovo and regional stability is unwavering. NATO continues to strongly support the EU-facilitated dialogue on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina as the framework for resolving outstanding issues while respecting the rights of all communities,” the statement added.

Major General Ulutas will conclude his second term as KFOR Commander in mid-October and will be succeeded by Italian Major General Roberto Vergori.

In a recent interview with Kosovo Online, Ulutas also stressed, among other things, that KFOR retained its security mandate and would continue to implement it fully and impartially, while taking into account the concerns of all communities in Kosovo, including the Serbian community. He also noted that NATO had supported peace and stability in the Western Balkans since the 1990s and that KFOR was a tangible demonstration of the Alliance’s efforts in this regard.