Peleshi at the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in Brussels: The three kidnapped Kosovo Policemen to be released, the intrusion of Serbian forces into Kosovo intolerable

Published: Friday, 16 June 2023 13:12

Defense Minister Niko Peleshi demanded the return home of three Kosovo policemen kidnapped by Serbian forces in the north of Kosovo. Speaking at the Meeting of the Ministers of Defense of the NATO countries that is being held in Brussels, Minister Peleshi highlighted the fact that the military or police forces of Serbia have no right to enter the territory of the Republic of Kosovo.

He emphasized that at this moment the return home of the kidnapped Kosovo policemen should be considered as a priority and an emergency.

"NATO must continue to support the development of the KSF as a founding institution that would guarantee security for all citizens. The recognition of Kosovo and its Euro-Atlantic integration are important steps towards guaranteeing lasting stability in our region", - said Peleshi.

Minister Peleshi emphasized in his speech the importance that the Alliance should give to the Balkan Region. He condemned the recent violent attacks against KFOR troops and the Kosovo Police in the northern part of Kosovo: "We fully support the mandate of KFOR and work intensively with the allies to prevent an escalation of the situation, while contributing at the same time to the facilitation of the Pristina - Belgrade dialogue", - Peleshi further added.

Regarding the developments in Ukraine, Defense Minister Niko Peleshi supported the new proposal for the formation of the NATO - Ukraine Council, which shows the steadfast determination as an Alliance, implementing NATO's standardization in the Defense and Security sector. In this meeting, Albania emphasized the importance of NATO's transformational processes in the face of the ever-changing challenges of the security environment. Our country guaranteed support for the development of regional plans, as well as the Deterrence and Defense, to guarantee the Alliance against the Russian threat and terrorist groups.

Minister Peleshi noted that Albania will continue to support measures to strengthen Deterrence and Defense with a comprehensive approach, increasing the contribution to missions, operations and activities, on land and at sea. "We support the improved model of NATO forces, we are adapting the Readiness System and we will contribute to the implementation of the plans by adapting our practices and making available critical infrastructure such as the Kuçova Base and the Porto Romano's port", - said minister Peleshi.

The Minister of Defense assured the allied countries that Albania in 2024 will dedicate 2% of GDP to Defense, investing more in this direction. He supported NATO's Defense Production Action Plan for capacity recovery.

During the meeting, Minister Peleshi also held informal meetings with representatives of the defense industry and met with counterparts from different countries, where issues in the interest of growth and cooperation in the field of Security and Defense were discussed.