PRISTINA – Italian Major General Roberto Vergori took command of NATO’s KFOR mission, succeeding Turksih Major General Özkan Ulutaş. Vergori said KFOR would continue to act in the interests of all communities and remained firmly committed to fulfilling its mandate under UN Security Resolution 1244.
He stressed that the process of optimising KFOR’s forces did not represents a withdrawal from the mission or in any way diminish its commitment to protecting all communities in Kosovo and serving their interests.
Vergori noted that NATO had supported peace and stability in the Western Balkans for decades. According to him, KFOR had provided tangible evidence of that commitment and of the broader international community’s efforts to support peace and security in the region.
“Our mission has not changed, nor has our commitment to all communities in Kosovo. We remain firmly committed to fulfilling KFOR’s mandate under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244. We do so by helping to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for everyone living in Kosovo,” Vergori said, KoSSev reports.
Discussing the optimisation of KFOR’s presence in Kosovo, Vergori referred to a statement by Admiral George Wikoff, saying the process had been initiated in response to continued improvements in the security situation.
“This is about adapting our operational approach to the evolving security environment to ensure that our mission remains fit for purpose. It is essential that we continually assess the situation on the ground and adjust the deployment and presence of our forces accordingly, so that we can improve the mission’s effectiveness, sharpen its operational focus and further strengthen the way we provide safety and security,” Vergori said.
