Žbogar told the STA that he agreed with the assessment made on Monday by NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who moreover told EU lawmakers that the military alliance has had to pick up the slack.

Žbogar however stressed that Eulex's prosecutors, judges, police and customs officers provide "indispensable support to Kosovo in terms of setting up the rule of law".

"We carried out a strategic review of the functioning of the mission and adapted its mandate to Kosovo's present needs," he said.

Among the adjustment elements is the plan to strengthen the mission's presence in the northern part of Kosovo and reduce in the south, where "we feel the Kosovo police can perform on its own".

"The lack of free movement in the north presents an additional challenge to the mission," Žbogar moreover said, while describing cooperation between Eulex and Kfor forces on the ground as very good.