Congressman Keith Self, together with Congressmen Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler, have submitted to the House of Representatives a resolution that expresses strong support for the integration of Kosovo into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

This, according to the announcement published on the official website of Congressman Keith Self, aims to emphasize the strategic importance of this process.

The resolution states that the democratic governance of Kosovo, civilian control over the security forces and multi-ethnic coexistence presents a strong case for NATO membership. Also, it is emphasized that, according to the announcement, in conditions where hostile actors continue to destabilize the region, Kosovo’s membership in the alliance would serve as a counterweight to discourage these actions and prevent new escalations in the Balkans.

Kosovo declared its independence in 2008 and has been recognized by over 100 countries, including the United States and most NATO countries. However, according to the same announcement published on the website of Congressman Keith Self, the lack of unanimous recognition within the Alliance remains an obstacle for Kosovo’s advancement towards membership.

The document emphasizes that four NATO member countries—Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain—have not yet recognized Kosovo. Since NATO works by consensus, this situation represents an obstacle for Kosovo’s inclusion in membership mechanisms, including the Partnership for Peace and the Action Plan for Membership.

The resolution calls on these countries to review their positions, emphasizing that wider recognition of Kosovo is necessary for its advancement towards NATO and for closing a strategic gap in Southeastern Europe.

In the announcement published on the page of Congressman Keith Self, he is quoted as having stated that “Kosovo has demonstrated commitment to regional stability and rapprochement with NATO countries, but its progress is being hindered by the lack of recognition by some allies”. Also, he adds that “The addition of Kosovo to the alliance is important for dealing with the influence of opponents in Europe”.

In the same announcement it is emphasized that the integration of Kosovo in NATO is important for the security interests of the United States in Southeastern Europe.

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Source: prizrenpost