Opening remarks
by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers' session on the Western Balkans
(As delivered)
So welcome.
Good morning. I think we are ready to start.
And welcome to this meeting on the Western Balkans.
The security and stability of the Western Balkans is paramount to NATO.
And we have strong relationships with all countries in the region.
I welcome the work underway in Skopje to implement the name deal.
And I look forward to welcoming them as the 30th member of NATO, once national procedures are completed.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a valuable contributor to NATO operations.
And we fully support its journey towards Euro-Atlantic integration.
Serbia remains a valued partner.
NATO also fully supports the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
This is critical for regional peace and security.
That concludes the public part of this meeting.
And I thank the media for joining us this morning. And then we’ll continue in a moment.