NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Thursday the alliance wants good relations with Serbia despite the fact that Kosovo's independence declaration has antagonized Belgrade.
"There is a clear ambition and vision on the NATO side -- realizing that Serbia is an important player -- to have not only a good relationship with Serbia, but also to see where we can improve that relationship," de Hoop Scheffer told reporters after a NATO foreign ministers' meeting.
He also expressed the hope that Belgrade can respond positively to NATO's good will in this respect.
"How that relationship will develop is not only up to NATO, but very much up to the authorities in Belgrade," he said.
"I think there is an ambition with the allies and I hope also (there is an ambition) with Belgrade so that we can build on this relationship," he added.
He said NATO sees Serbia as a very important player despite the present difficulties and despite, what he said, "unhelpful rhetoric" from Belgrade.
After Kosovo's independence declaration on Feb. 17, Serbia has reacted angrily to the West by downgrading its diplomatic ties with countries that have recognized Kosovo as an independent state.
At their meeting, the NATO foreign ministers also discussed the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo.
De Hoop Scheffer said the ministers were encouraged by the "political maturity" of Kosovo's leaders and people.
De Hoop Scheffer noted that there has been no inter-ethnic violence, no attacks on patrimonial or religious sites and no flows of refugees.
The ministers stressed the importance of moderation from both inside and outside Kosovo.
Twenty-four NATO allies as well as 10 non-NATO countries are having some 16,000 troops in Kosovo.
The troops are there to ensure security and stability throughout Kosovo, said de Hoop Scheffer.
Source:Xinhua
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