BELGRADE, May 21 NATO countries did not contact Serbian authorities for permission before sending their military to participate in the stage of the largest exercises of the Defender Europe 2023 alliance in Kosovo and Metohija, said Nemanja Starovic, Secretary of State (Deputy Minister rank) of the Serbian Ministry of Defense.
The opening exercise in Pristina's central square on Sunday was attended by the «president» of the self-proclaimed republic, Vyosa Osmani, «premier» Albin Kurti, «defence minister» Armend Mehai and commander of the paramilitary Kosovo Security Forces (KSF) Bashkim Yashari. The exercise is being led by US European Command EUCOM, whose representatives were also present. Minister Mehai wrote on social media before the opening that «our intentions are clear, the army of the (self-proclaimed — ed.) Republic of Kosovo is ready to join the NATO family.» This is not the first time that Kosovo Albanian forces have participated in alliance maneuvers and missions.
«According to UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the only military forces that can legally be deployed in Kosovo and Metohija are the KFOR contingent. In view of this, the deployment of forces of individual countries within the framework of the exercises … represents a gross violation of resolution 1244» , — the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Defense told the Kosovo online portal.
“Not only did the states participating in the maneuvers in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija not request the approval of the Serbian authorities, but there is also no information about whether the consent of the KFOR commander was received for their entry into the territory of our southern autonomous region,” Starovich stressed.
According to him, the Ministry of Defense of Serbia was earlier, as in previous years, invited by the organizers of the maneuvers to participate, but the invitation was not accepted by Belgrade, since the involvement of the Kosovo Albanian SFK in the exercises also grossly violates the UN Security Council resolution.
The Defender 2023 phase of the exercise will take place from May 21 to June 2 in the Western Balkans region, it is expected that over 7,000 US military personnel and 17,000 military personnel from 20 alliance member countries and partner states will take part in it.
According to Radio and Television of Kosovo, the SFK contingent of 1,300 fighters will be one of the largest. Together with them, the military from Albania and North Macedonia will take part in the maneuvers.
In Montenegro, last week in the port of Bar, the equipment of the North Atlantic Alliance was unloaded for maneuvers. The Montenegrin stage of the exercises, according to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic, will begin next week and is called «Immediate response» (Immediate response) 2023.
The authorities of the republic promised citizens that as part of the maneuvers there would be no firing at the Sinyaevina training ground in the center of the country, where Citizens and eco-activists have repeatedly held protests against NATO exercises in the past, despite this, the «defenders of Sinyaevina» called on supporters to gather near the test site on May 22 in case the military appears and a new protest is needed.