U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that NATO enlargement to include Kosovo is not currently a top priority for the alliance’s member states. However, he emphasized that this does not mean such membership could not happen in the future.
Speaking during a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rubio also said that the United States supports the Italian candidate for the position of High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, expressing confidence that he would perform the role effectively and contribute to regional stability.
Rubio was responding to questions from Keith Self, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Europe, who recently visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Kosovo. During the hearing, Self described the situation in the Western Balkans as “extremely fragile.”
Self noted that an unresolved issue remains between Serbia and Kosovo and urged Rubio to advocate for Kosovo’s NATO membership in discussions with the four NATO member states that do not recognize Kosovo’s independence and therefore block its accession to the alliance.
Rubio replied that, based on his meetings with NATO foreign ministers, the alliance is currently focused on other priorities. He said that enlargement, particularly in Kosovo’s case but also in other cases, is not at the forefront of discussions among NATO allies.
“That does not mean it will never happen,” Rubio said, adding that Kosovo’s membership “has not been a major topic in recent conversations with our NATO allies.”
Kosovo aims to join both NATO and the European Union. However, countries that do not recognize its independence, declared in 2008, continue to pose obstacles to its Euro-Atlantic integration.
Meanwhile, Keith Self, together with fellow members of Congress Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler, has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives supporting Kosovo’s NATO membership. The resolution argues that Kosovo’s presence in the alliance is essential for protecting U.S. national security interests in Southeast Europe.
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