1 photo: EUCOM Commander/SACEUR in Film City
Photo 1 of 1: Admiral James Stavridis (left), Supreme Allied Commander Europe, walks with Major General Volker Halbauer (right), Commander Kosovo Force, at HQ Camp Film City, Pristina, Kosovo, during SACEURs visit to Kosovo on May 1, 2013.
Download full-resolution version
I'm flying home from Kosovo in the Balkans for the final time as the Supreme Allied Commander at NATO after more than a dozen trips to this volatile region during my four years here.
As we fly high above the white-capped Adriatic Sea, I am in a reflective mood.
When I arrived as the NATO commander in 2009, we had more than 15,000 troops in Kosovo. They had two key missions in the tense former province of Serbia: maintain freedom of movement and contribute to a "safe and secure environment." It was, and still can be, a dangerous place.
The last four years have had plenty of twists and turns. But overall, we've hit a point where the volatile national actors have decided that instead of reaching for their rifles to resolve a dispute, they will reach for a telephone to call Brussels and initiate a dialog -- generally under the auspices of the European Union.
Members of the Georgia Army National Guard's 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, patrol a road in the town ofRudare, Kosovo, June 1, 2012, during roadblock removal operations.
What a difference a few years make. In the mid 1990's, the Balkans were on fire. Ultimately over 100,000 people would die and millions would be displaced. More than 8,000 men and boys were executed in Srebrenica and war and rape were the order of the day.
Due to the good work of the international community, the UN Security Council, the European Union and -- yes -- NATO, we have come a long way. At one point, NATO had more than 50,000 troops in the Balkans. In 2009, we had, as mentioned above, more than 15,000. Today we have only 5,000 and are on a glide path to reduce the mission still further.
The latest development is a very good one. Serbia and Kosovo have signed a 15-point plan, negotiated with the help of Baroness Catherine Ashton of the UK working as head of the EU Diplomatic Service, to find a solution to ongoing tension in the north of Kosovo. That is good news indeed.
Hashim Thaçi, Kosovar Prime Minister, Baroness Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Ivica Dacic, Serbian Prime Minister during Belgrade-Pristina negotiations in Brussels.
NATO is committed to supporting the implementation of the plan and we hope that it will soon translate into further improvements of the security situation on the ground in northern Kosovo. Belgrade and Pristina have made clear that as they work for the implementation of the agreement, they see NATO as the guarantor of peace and security for all the people of Kosovo.
A great deal of this is the result of pressure applied to both Kosovo and Serbia by Angela Merkel on behalf of the EU, by Hilary Clinton on behalf of the US, and the skill of Baroness Ashton at the negotiating table. It would be naïve to believe that all is suddenly sweetness and light in the Balkans. And yet…there seems to be a genuine movement to the future and away from the past. This is a very good thing.
But, as always, the devil is in the details. Next up is negotiating an implementing agreement dealing with complex issues of sovereignty, border management, the status of Serbian ethnics in northern Kosovo, authorities of Kosovo, and many other variables. Next week the two Prime Ministers will meet to continue the hard work.
So it is not quite time for "high fives" as we would say in American English. We still have hard work to do in ensuring that the fever of war and violence do not return to the Balkans. But compared to ten years ago? I'll take it.
I'm proud of the role of NATO in "keeping the peace" in the Balkans. I applaud the distance the region has come from the chaos and violence of the previous decade. But now is not the time to slack off, rather it is the time to maintain the intensity of our effort to make sure this one turns out well.
Admiral James Stavridis (left), Supreme Allied Commander Europe, walks with Major General Volker Halbauer (right), Commander Kosovo Force, at HQ Camp Film City, Pristina, Kosovo, during SACEURs visit to Kosovo on May 1, 2013.
Best,
Jim
Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"
Jim
Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"