Two battles awaiting Kosovo, Serbia

The first one relates to Kosovo's membership efforts in INTERPOL and Serbia's ongoing objections.

And second, it connects to transforming the Kosovo Security Force. [ Footnote] The KSF, wearing it with additional competencies and capacities offered to the responsibilities of the armed forces, which Belgrade also disagrees with.

When the KSF is in question, opposition comes from the inside, through the Serbian List, which is also supported by official Belgrade.

First Deputy Prime Minister, Kosovo Foreign Affairs Minister Behgjet Pacolli, told Radio Free Europe, that Kosovo will soon be a member of INTERPOL. However, he acknowledges that obstacles in this direction from Serbia are obvious.

“The challenge for INTERPOL will be even greater. They've already started their own war. They are working, they have delegations around the world, they have paid lobbyists who lobby against Kosovo”.

“We are in possession of the letters they write and recommend to the states not to support Kosovo. Here, even writing things that don't stay. We have to move forward, always proud, always arrogant, not to tell you things without facts or lies”, Bacolli said.

He said Kosovo institutions are working intensively towards membership in INTERPOL.

It's a kind of battle, it feels, it's going to be even bigger, but I believe that always on our side is the fact that Kosovo is independent and we're defending this cause and going back there is no. Many states have already realised that Kosovo is a new reality and will provide support and will not prevent membership in key mechanisms”.

This issue is round-up will have the consensus of more than two-thirds of the international community. The only problem is the failure of states that would vote for Kosovo, because the arrival in Dubai is costly. An official from Africa or the Caribbean if you travel to Dubai, the plane's ticket costs between $112 to $150,000,”, Pacolli said.

On the other hand, Vjosa Osmani, deputy and chairman of the Kosovo Commission for Foreign Affairs, Diaspores and Strategic Investments from the Democratic League of Kosovo, considers that the leaders of institutions should not be hasty and give statements and say that the issue of Kosovo's membership in INTERPOL is a work done, as according to her, the job done will be only on the day of voting in Kosovo.

I hope this process is successful. It is essential at this moment of Kosovo's statehood that we succeed in membership in such an international organisation, not only because it helps Kosovo empower its international subjectivity, but because it enables co-operation in fighting cross-border crime, so co-operation not only in the region, but even wider. Therefore, there is no reason for Serbia to block Kosovo”, Osmani said.

“Of course if it were a responsible member of the international community Serbia would not block Kosovo in any organisation, but unfortunately it has shown destabilising”, the MEP Osmani said.

On the other hand, Kosovo diplomacy chief Behgjet Pacolli says it is true that Kosovo has obstacles even within institutions, through the Serbian List.

The obstacles, particularly in aspects of strengthening Kosovo's citizenship, come to the issue because this list, regardless of whether it participates in Kosovo institutions, obeys Belgrade.

“Yes, it's the same. A war that is waged outside [Kosovo] is now under way in the Kosovo Assembly. This worries me a little bit, because it makes Kosovo an dysfunctional state and we have to fight this evil. For that reason I always speak and call for unity of Kosovo political circles”, Pacolli said.

While MP Vjosa Osmani has also voiced criticism in the direction of Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who, according to him, is expressing scepticism, especially for Kosovo's membership in INTERPOL.

“Instead of statements here it takes work, the president would now have to travel from one country to another, not to do otherwise by expressing scepticism for such a thing”, she said.

As far as the already blocking of the formation of the Kosovo Army on the part of Serbian List deputies, MP Osmani says their claims will have no place, and that Kosovo will have its army.

The Long Road to the Army

“cannot prevent the Serbian List because there are another 110 MPs that are pro. And during the process of adopting these laws that begin Thursday they do not have the right to veto, and therefore they are unable to take any action in”, Osmani said.

However, the transformation of the KSF without changing its name to the army or army with some additional competencies and more full capacity was precisely the result of Serbian List objections, without the votes of which cannot become constitutional changes necessary for the formation of the military.

Meanwhile, for Kosovo's membership in INTERPOL will be known in late November, likely on November 20th, when the General Assembly of this international police organisation in the United Arab Emirates will be held. /rel