NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday Croatian troops in the KFOR peace-keeping mission in Kosovo were operating under exactly the same rules as all other NATO troops there, Reuters reported.

“All troops provided by NATO allies and partner countries to our operation in Kosovo operate under well-established guidelines and a well-established framework, which is set out by the UN resolution 1244,” Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels.

Vucic recently strongly criticised an announcement that the Croatian contingent in Kosovo would be increased.

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said in Priština about ten days ago that Croatia would increase the number of its troops in KFOR. Visiting the Croatian army's 34th contingent, he said that as a responsible NATO member, Croatia had the right to do so.