26.01.2021.
Minister Stefanović meets with KFOR Commander General Federici
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, met today with KFOR Commander Major General Franco Federici.
Minister Stefanović thanked the KFOR Commander for protecting the Serbian population and religious sites in Kosovo and Metohija, and both parties confirmed their commitment to keeping the cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and KFOR at a professional level. Stefanović noted that according to UN Security Council Resolution 1244, KFOR was the only legitimate armed formation in Kosovo and Metohija and that it was expected to provide a safe environment for all ethnic groups in Serbia’s southern province.
Minister of Defence also said that responsibility for the security in Kosovo and Metohija could not be transferred to others and pointed out that the transformation of the so-called Kosovo Security Forces is absolutely unacceptable for the Republic of Serbia because that was in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the Military Technical Agreement.Stefanović asked KFOR to maintain the necessary level of operational capabilities, adding that the decision to reduce the number of troops should depend on continuous assessment of political and military developments and security indicators, not on set dates.
He added that cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and KFOR in fighting terrorism had to be intensified and recalled reports by international organizations that warned of serious problems in Kosovo and Metohija with radicalization and combatants returning home, which posed a threat to international security.
