NATO chief calls for restraint during elections

Source: Tanjug

BRUSSELS -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Friday on all parties in Kosovo to show restraint during parliamentary and presidential elections in Serbia.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Beta, file)

In this critical period, it is vital to avoid any unilateral action or statement which could give rise to tensions, the release reads.
"I welcome the agreement which stipulates that OSCE will facilitate the voting process, and call on Priština and Belgrade to continue the cooperation with the international community with the aim of preserving a peaceful and secure polling,” Rasmussen added.

Rasmussen recalled that the goal of the KFOR mission was to preserve a safe and secure environment for all people of Kosovo in an impartial way, “which it had been doing for more than a decade”.

“I have full confidence in the assessment and professionalism of the KFOR Commander when it comes to the use of all means offered by the mandate and all instruments at his disposal, including the 2nd battalion of the Operational Reserve Forces (ORF), which has been deployed in Kosovo,” Rasmussen added.

He pointed out that KFOR and EULEX would continue to closely cooperate on the ground.

“The future of the entire region is its integration in the Euro-Atlantic region, so we will have to spare no effort to ensure that the region does not fail to progress towards that goal,” the NATO secretary general said.