NATO will send another 700 troops to Kosovo, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today, a day after 30 KFOR peacekeepers and 52 protesters were injured in clashes.

“We have decided to deploy another 700 soldiers from the Operational Reserve (ORF) to the Western Balkans and put another reserve battalion on high alert so that it can also be deployed if necessary,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference in which he acknowledged . in Oslo.

The Alliance Secretary General condemned what he called “unacceptable” attacks by Serb demonstrators on peacekeeping forces, calling on Pristina and Belgrade to take the lead in de-escalating the situation.

“We strongly condemn these unprovoked attacks on our soldiers in northern Kosovo. Violence is a failure for Kosovo and the entire region” and jeopardizes the aspirations of the Balkan countries to join NATO, he warned.

“Pristina and Belgrade must take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation: avoid any new irresponsible actions and stick to the EU-brokered dialogue, which is the only way to sustainable peace,” he added.

Earlier, NATO announced the introduction of new forces in Kosovo, where Serbian protesters continue to gather at the Zvecan City Hall. Clashes erupted in the area on Monday, injuring at least 50 protesters and 30 members of the NATO mission, mostly Italian and Hungarian military personnel.

Serbs boycotted the April municipal elections in northern Kosovo, which elected Albanian mayors, although turnout was less than 3.5%. A new crisis in Kosovo erupted when last Friday, May 26, police intervened in four cities in the north to disperse a gathering of Serbs who were preventing newly elected mayors from taking office.

Source: APE-MPE, AFP, Reuters.