Blog Posts tagged with "Kosovo Police"

I spent two days in the Balkans last week, primarily focused on Kosovo, where NATO continues to deploy about 10,000 troops in support of UN resolutions to provide security and stability. The good news is that we are down from several times that number a few years ago, and in the nine months I’ve been Supreme Allied Commander Europe, we’ve been able to reduce from 15,000 – real progress.

Here I am posing with Bishop Theodosije at the Decani Monastery in Kosovo.

The two days I spent there last week were focused on travel around the entire country – mostly by Blackhawk helicopters – to see some of the most sensitive cultural sites in the Balkans. Of particular note was the monastery at Decani, built in the 1200s by the Serbian Orthodox Church and led today by Bishop Theodosije, a spiritual leader of 30 monks who continue to “tend their gardens” at this United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Cultural site. It is protected by NATO forces, and we will continue to ensure it is preserved.

I also had visits with the President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu, and the Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi. I learned a great deal from them, as we discussed a wide variety of topics of mutual interest, fom the security situation in Kosovo to the economy. Perhaps the greatest challenge to Kosovo is an unemployment rate of about 40 percent, and developing a stronger economy was very much on the minds of all the Kosovar leadership with whom I spoke.

The good cooperation between NATO, the EU, and the Kosovo Police and Security Forces has been noteworthy. I had a chance to observe a very impressive exercise conducted between the three entities against a mock “riot.” The three layers of response (Kosovo Police, EU, and NATO) reacted properly and smoothly. It is clear that coordination between the local forces and the two external agencies are going well, and we’ll continue to improve on it.

Kosovo President, Fatmir Sejdiu, and I got the chance to sit down and talk.

There is certainly plenty of controversy in the Balkans today, but when I think back a decade ago – massacres, murders, rapes, torture, war across borders – there has been enormous progress. Both Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo were sites of enormous anguish and disagreement, with hundreds of thousands of people dying in attempts at ethnic cleansing. Today, there is still disagreement about borders and the future, but very few are advocating violence as an approach. The Balkans stands as an example of the international community’s ability (including NATO) to bring and enforce peace solutions to disagreements. Much progress has been made, and I’m proud to be part of ensuring we don’t fall back.

As I flew over Kosovo's green fields, busy mines, and small houses, I reflected on the country's future. In the course of preparing for my visit, I read a remarkable short book, “The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo,” by Paula Huntley, where she shares her experience as an American teacher who taught English (using, among other books, “The Old Man and the Sea”) to young Kosovars from 2000-2001. In the end, the future of any place is all about young people with their energy, enthusiasm, and desire to improve the world. In that sense, I have high hopes for Kosovo.

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Below is an interview I did during the visit. Thanks for watching and please comment!