On the occasion of the conclusion of the mission of the KFOR Commander and change of command, Major Genral Salvatore Couci held his last press conference.
He spoke about the security situation in Kosovo and sovereignty in Mitrovica North, which according to him, is problematic in that part. “Normally there are problems with sovereignty in northern Mitrovica. Having a full control in the north is really a challenge and remains a challenge. Indeed, there is no complete control, this is true because there is organized crime. There are challenges to which we are trying to be more effective. This affects the population, because somehow people are struggling with on who to rely to, Pristina or Belgrade. But in reality, we try to maintain a safe and secure environment there. We are trying to keep the situation under control,” Cuoci said.
He added that dialogue around the table and not the one in the field makes an impact on solution of the problems in the north.
Speaking about transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), Couci said NATO position is clear and it prefers inclusion of all entities in Kosovo in the new army.
According to him, this process of transformation will last around ten years. He also added that this section requires a big budget.
KFOR Commander Couci will be replaced by Lorenzo D’Addario.
