Pristina, 2 October 2023 (TDI): The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani held a productive meeting with Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia, the Commander of the Kosovo Force (KFOR) on September 30, 2023.
Major General Giovanni Pietro Barbano, the head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) also participated in the meeting.
The central agenda of their discussion revolved around addressing security concerns, particularly in the northern region of Kosovo, along the border with Serbia according to the press release announced by the president’s office.
During the meeting, Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia reaffirmed KFOR’s commitment to fully execute its mandates.
While President Osmani on her part extended her gratitude to the international officials serving in Kosovo and appreciated NATO’s decision to increase the KFOR troop levels.
She considers this move as a clear message to deter destabilizing and threatening activities within Kosovo.
President Osmani reaffirmed Kosovo’s commitment to collaborative efforts with international partners in overcoming the security challenges.
On the same day, President Osmani also hosted a meeting with security officials from Kosovo, including representatives from the Kosovo Police Force.
Also Read: EU Condemns Violence in Kosovo, Calls for De-escalation
The security situation in northern Kosovo has remained highly disturbed since September 24, 2023, following an incident where a Kosovo police officer lost their life during an attack between Kosovo police and terrorists in Banjska, Zvecana.
In response, Kosovo Police successfully killed four terrorists, and eight individuals were arrested for further investigation in which four of whom were released on Friday.
The responsibility for the attack was claimed by Milan Radoicic, the former Vice President of Lista Serbe which is recognized as the second-largest political party among Serbs.
Serbia has denied the international force’s actions to reduce troop presence near the Kosovo border and in contrast, has continued to deploy its military personnel along the Kosovo border.
