From 14-22 May 2026, Ambassador Kevin Hamilton, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Partnerships, paid his first official visit to the Western Balkans, with discussions in Sarajevo, Belgrade and Pristina. He also attended the first NATO-Serbia joint military exercise.
In Sarajevo, he met with member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zeljko Komsic, along with representatives of Chairman Denis Becirovic and member Zeljka Cvijanovic, and with other senior officials. Ambassador Hamilton underscored the importance of NATO’s long-standing partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina which is based on political dialogue and practical cooperation. He highlighted the strong cooperation between NATO and the European Union, in partnership with BiH institutions and local communities, and said these partnerships remain essential for preserving peace, stability and security. He encouraged national authorities to take full advantage of existing partnership tools and to prioritise their efforts to build institutional resilience and boost defence spending.
In Belgrade, the Deputy Assistant Secretary General met with Nevena Jovanovic, State Secretary at Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colonel Zlatko Bogosavljević, Head of International Military Cooperation at Serbia’s Ministry of Defence, and other senior officials. They discussed NATO-Serbia cooperation, regional stability, and joint training initiatives.
In Pristina, Ambassador Hamilton met with representatives of the Institutions in Kosovo, including Albin Kurti, Glauk Konjufca and Ejup Maqedonci. He also had talks with EU officials and other members of the international community. He underscored that NATO’s long-standing engagement in Kosovo through KFOR remains vital for regional stability, dialogue and mutual understanding.
Finally, Ambassador Hamilton attended the first NATO-Serbia joint military exercise, at the Borovac training site, in Serbia. He met with Bratislav Gašić, Minister of Defence, alongside other senior military leaders and officials. The Deputy Assistant Secretary General said the exercise was a real demonstration of the benefits that the NATO-Serbia partnership can bring.