"NATO wants Serbia in its ranks"

NATO will stay in Kosovo for a long time, Barbara Maronkov of NATO's public diplomacy deportment says. "Right now, the situation in Kosovo is not what we expected it to be, therefore we will stay there for as long as it takes to secure peace," Maronkov told Novi Sad's Dnevnik newspaper. "NATO wants Serbia in its ranks" Asked about the way the Alliance sees the ongoing Kosovo status negotiations, she said that NATO was not involved in the talks, and did not exert any influence on them. "We are awaiting the decision, then we'll see if measures need to be undertaken," Maronkov said. She added that NATO was disappointed by the negative reaction "of the Serbian public" to the country's possible membership, and added the Alliance would like to have Serbia, a key stability and security factor in the Balkans, in its ranks. Speaking about the NATO summit next April in Bucharest, where Croatia, Albania and Macedonia hope to join the Alliance, Maronkov said that the final desision in the matter has not yet been made in Brussels. "Croatia's membership is uncertain at this point, because only 32 percent of that country's citizens support it," the NATO official concluded.

"NATO wants Serbia in its ranks"

Asked about the way the Alliance sees the ongoing Kosovo status negotiations, she said that NATO was not involved in the talks, and did not exert any influence on them.

"We are awaiting the decision, then we'll see if measures need to be undertaken," Maronkov said.

She added that NATO was disappointed by the negative reaction "of the Serbian public" to the country's possible membership, and added the Alliance would like to have Serbia, a key stability and security factor in the Balkans, in its ranks.

Speaking about the NATO summit next April in Bucharest, where Croatia, Albania and Macedonia hope to join the Alliance, Maronkov said that the final desision in the matter has not yet been made in Brussels.

"Croatia's membership is uncertain at this point, because only 32 percent of that country's citizens support it," the NATO official concluded.