NATO says it will increase peacekeepers in Kosovo

The NATO chief said on Wednesday that if there is an escalation of tensions with neighbouring Serbia, it will increase its peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

Jens Stoltenberg said at a news conference after talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels that they had a significant mission, a military presence in Kosovo close to 4,000 troops.

We will deploy them where needed and increase our presence if needed. We have increased presence in the north. Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared this month when Pristina said it would oblige Serbs living in the north, who are backed by Belgrade and do not recognise Kosovo institutions, to use car license plates issued in Pristina.

Under US and European Union pressure, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti agreed to postpone the number plates rule until Sep 1 and NATO peacekeepers oversaw the removal of roadblocks set up by Serbs.

Vucic told the news conference at NATO that talks with Kurti on Thursday would be difficult because the two sides disagree on almost everything.

Kurti, who met Stoltenberg later, underlined Kosovo's resolve to become a NATO member.

He said that the problems are linked to Russia's influence because of the threats, risks and challenges that NATO faces in the current security environment.

Kosovo's institutions and citizens are vigilant about the destructive approach of our northern neighbour towards Kosovo and the region in general under Russia's agenda for Europe and the Balkans in the current situation. Kosovo won independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after a guerrilla uprising against repressive Belgrade rule.

Serbia considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory. It denies that there is a lot of tension and conflict and accuses Pristina of trampling on the rights of minority Serbs. Ethnic Serbians account for 5 per cent of Kosovo's 1.8 million population, which is 90 per cent ethnic Albanian.

Vucic said Serbia wanted to avoid any sort of escalation of the situation, but it was important to understand that there is a new generation of young men who see Kosovo as Serbian territory and will no longer put up with the terror.