Skopje, 30 September 2023 (MIA) — The presence of 5,000 NATO troops in Kosovo is a guarantee that the crisis will not spill over into the region and it is good that North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania are NATO members so a direct confrontation between the Kosovo and Serbian armies can be prevented, President Stevo Pendarovski said in an interview with Macedonian Radio.

"If not for the five thousand NATO soldiers there during the recent problems, conflicts and tensions in Northern Kosovo — and there were similar situations before, as well — without the NATO troops there, the conflict would have spilled over. First, there would have been a direct confrontation between Serbia's and Kosovo's armies and police, and then, this would have spreaded to the surroundings," President Pendarovski said.

Asked if he would run for a second term, Pendarovski said his decision depended on public opinion of his time in office.

"My continued engagement in politics will depend on only one thing. Not on whether I would especially like to be in this position or another one, but only on whether the public approves of my time in office so far, and hopefully, of my entire five years in office.

"If the public does not have a positive opinion, shown in decent percentages, of what I have been doing for the past four and a half to five years, then of course you won't be seeing me in politics," Pendarovski told Macedonian Radio. mr/