At a time of growing instability across the Western Balkans, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron is visiting Kosovo on his first trip of the New Year, to meet UK troops based in the country and to hold talks with Kosovan leaders and civil society.

In the aftermath of an attack in September, which saw a Kosovan police officer and three Kosovo Serb gunmen killed, the UK announced the deployment of 200 additional soldiers to NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, joining the 400-strong British contingent that were already in country as part of an annual exercise.

While in the Kosovan capital, Pristina, the Foreign Secretary will meet his counterpart the Minister of Foreign Affairs Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, and hold talks with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti about security issues in the Western Balkans.

David Cameron will also meet members of the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims, which the UK has supported for almost ten years, and a female survivor of conflict-related sexual violence at the Heroinat Memorial.

The memorial commemorates conflict-related sexual violence survivors of the Kosovo War with the design made of 20,000 pins representing the 20,000 survivors.

The UK works closely with countries across the Western Balkans through its over-£25 million Freedom and Resilience Programme to empower women and girls by tackling conflict-related sexual violence, gender-based violence and promoting women’s meaningful participation in decision-making processes.

Throughout the visit, the Foreign Secretary will underline the UK’s continued support to the Western Balkans, drawing on the UK’s expertise as a partner in security and defence, tackling corruption and organised crime, and empowering women and girls.

Concluding the trip, the Foreign Secretary is expected to meet Bishop Teodosije at the UNESCO World Heritage site Gracanica Monastery, a Serbian Orthodox monastery outside of Pristina. The two will discuss the vital role of religious authorities in fostering stability across all communities in Kosovo and working to reduce tensions.

Read also: David Cameron meets with Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

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