Baerbock complains about escalation
The federal government is sending more soldiers to Kosovo
October 6, 2023, 12:51 p.m
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Shortly before Foreign Minister Baerbock’s meeting with the Western Balkan states, fighting broke out between Serbia and Kosovo. The security situation on site is tense. The federal government wants to ensure relaxation with more soldiers in the region from 2024.
Renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo also overshadowed the meeting between Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her colleagues from the Western Balkan countries. At the same time as the summit, it was announced that the Bundeswehr would send a reinforced company to Kosovo in 2024. According to “Spiegel”, the Chancellery agreed to this this week. This is intended to support the NATO mission KFOR in Pristina. The 150 soldiers are scheduled to replace an Austrian company in April 2024. The government in Vienna had already asked Berlin some time ago whether Germany could step in, according to the report.
According to “Spiegel”, the significant increase was already planned before the recent escalation in the Balkans, it was emphasized in Berlin. Nevertheless, by sending the company to a meeting of NATO defense ministers next week, the federal government wants to symbolize that Germany is fulfilling its responsibility in the Balkans. There are currently only 85 Bundeswehr soldiers stationed in Kosovo.
In Tirana, Foreign Minister Baerbock expressed deep concern about the security situation in the region, given the recent acts of violence by Serbian paramilitaries in northern Kosovo. There is a setback in the security situation, although “we all hoped and believed that we were a good deal further along,” said Baerbock at the start of the meeting with her colleagues from Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Albania .
Baerbock sees agreements on the way
The meeting is part of the Berlin Process initiated by Germany in 2014 to bring the Western Balkan countries closer to the EU. Baerbock’s Kosovar colleague Donika Gervalla-Schwarz insisted on Western sanctions for Serbia. “I expect a clear stance from the ministers present to condemn Serbia’s aggression and also to decide on concrete steps,” said Gervalla in an interview with ZDF.
“Security is crucial for cooperation in the region,” emphasized Baerbock. The “terrible attack” by Serbian paramilitaries on Kosovo police officers on September 24th has put this into question. In the Berlin process, it is important to first make everyday life easier for the citizens of the six Western Balkan countries in their bilateral dealings with one another, said the Green politician. Three of the four planned “mobility agreements” have already been implemented. This involves the mutual recognition of personal documents as well as school and university qualifications. “Things that sound banal are crucial,” emphasized Baerbock.