BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today that Serbia is a close and valuable partner to the Alliance. He also expressed hope that this country will host the civil preparednes exercise in October.
“This shows that NATO fully respects Serbia’s decision not to strive towards NATO membership, but also that we very much appreciate Serbia’s continuing cooperation with NATO as a partner and that we are grateful for that cooperation”, said Stoltenberg at the media conference ahead of two-day Summit of the Allience, which begins tomorrow in Brussels.
He emphasised that he greatly appreciates NATO’s increasing cooperation with Serbia.
“The fact that I expect the allies to invite Skopje to begin the accession negotiations will not change our relationship with Serbia,” pointed out the head of the Nort Atlantic Alliance.
Stoltenberg said that NATO will continue to cooperate with Western Balkans because the Alliance has “history and presence there – in Belgrade, Sarajevo, KFOR is there as well, as are many members and partners of NATO.”