NATO summit in Bruxelles (2-3Feb. 2012)

NATO Defence Ministers, among other things, reviewed the security situation in the northern part of Kosovo which experienced an increase in violence in 2011.

Against the backdrop of a volatile, but for the moment stable situation in northern Kosovo, Allies and partners agreed that KFOR continues to play an indispensable role in Kosovo and they committed to sustaining that role.
"KFOR has done an excellent job in maintaining a safe and secure environment for all the people in Kosovo . The mission and the Commander of KFOR have our full support", NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during the meeting. "And KFOR will continue to fully implement its mandate in accordance with its United Nations mandate", he added.
Ministers emphasized that finding a political solution for northern Kosovo is the only way to overcome the current impasse. They also agreed on the need to support the ongoing EU-sponsored dialogue and to continue to call on all parties to show flexibility and implement agreements as they are reached.
Defence Ministers asked for the close cooperation between KFOR and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo. "While KFOR continues to contribute to the safety of all, EULEX remains essential for building a secure, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo based on rule of law", Mr Rasmussen said. He added that "it is of utmost importance that we continue to reinforce each other’s efforts, so that Kosovo can look to a future of integration in the Euro-Atlantic family and not to the conflicts of the past".
Looking ahead, Defence Ministers reiterated the long-term goal to reduce the NATO troop presence in Kosovo when circumstances allow and when the time was right.

Why United Kingdom won't integrate in Europe

Undoubtedly, integrated Europe and the United Kingdom have a curious and strange relationship. Since the very beginning of the European integration process the UK showed skepticism and, often, annoyance. The reasons for such a feeling can be identified in the peculiar history of the British people: local conflicts led to stabilization, growth and imperial splendor.

The end of the Second World War, nevertheless, introduced a new era of international dialogue, mutual respect and led almost inevitably to the decolonization process. The resistance to European integration process, both from outside and inside, may express the British wish to refuse to accept the today’s world evolution, hoping that, beyond the possible concrete financial advantages, the solution of an integrated and partly protected European market would not compromise the traditional prestige of British world policy. London seems to reject the European spirit, the financial rules and the cultural background that come with it, which tend to privilege continental solidarity. Such a crucial approach might seriously compromise the future relations between the 26 EU countries and the UK in the next decades.

After ten years of NATO in Afghanistan

2011 also marked the tenth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. NATO’s mission in Afghanistan, which had harboured those responsible for the attacks, continues to be a top priority for the Alliance. Building a safe and secure Afghanistan, a country led by the Afghans and for the Afghans, is at the heart of this mission.

Since the summer of 2011, NATO has started handing over primary security responsibility to the Afghan government and the Afghan national security forces. Hundreds and thousands of police and military personnel have been trained as part of this enduring partnership and transition process. Following the November announcement by President Hamid Karzai that a further 18 areas will soon transition to Afghan security control, over half of the Afghan population will be protected by their national security forces.

"Transition is firmly on track. It is driven by the determination of the Afghan people and sustained by the courage of the Afghan National Security Forces and of ISAF,"

says Secretary General Rasmussen. "We will keep our commitment to training and supporting the Afghan security forces throughout the transition process, and beyond."