Vjosa Osmani, Kosovo’s President, told the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in New York on Wednesday that "Kosovo's main goal was full membership in the NATO alliance," Serbian news agency Beta reported.

Osmani said that Kosovo’s membership in NATO “is important for peace in the region, and for promoting and protecting common values.”

She added Pristina was committed to “opening a new chapter” in its cooperation with NATO, i.e. to include Kosovo in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program, Beta said.

“We are proud that our soldiers are taking part in the military mission in Kuwait alongside US armed forces. The mission is the first of its kind for Kosovo, and it proves our readiness to contribute to global peace and security,” Osmani was quoted as saying by Kosovo media.

Kosovo had sent a platoon-sized unit in March to Kuwait in its first ever mission abroad, under the command of the US, which has about 13,500 soldiers stationed there.

Stoltenberg reportedly thanked Kosovo for providing shelter for Afghan refugees who had worked with NATO in Afghanistan and fled the country after the fall of Kabul, describing Kosovo’s help as “an example of cooperation and coordination with allies.”

Kosovo’s Interior Minister, Xhelal Svecla, said earlier this month that Kosovo had taken in nearly 700 people from Afghanistan so far, with the total number expected to reach 2,000.