German government: KSF must create sustainable structures

Thomas Silberhorn (CSU), the parliamentary secretary of state near Germany's defence minister, in an exclusive interview for DW ensures the continuation of German aid for the construction of the Kosovo Army.

Deutsche Welle: Mr. Silberhorn, the Kosovo Parliament, is establishing the legal basis for the Kosovo Armed Forces. How do you see this step?

Thomas Silberhorn: The term “armed forces” reminds us of Kosovo's sovereignty and independence. Kosovo is not recognised by all, therefore there are disagreements. That is why, for me, it is important to find that the term “armed force” does not appear in legislative initiatives in parliament. I see this as the beginning of a transformation process in the next ten years. During this period all disagreements must have been resolved, and then we can be clearer about the notion of armed forces.

DW: Serbia views the process of transformation as a threat. What argument would you Serbs be calming down with?

There are members of the Serb minority in the Kosovo Security Force. It is designed to take care of security throughout the territory. Here a transition process should be shaped that takes into account the interests of the Serb minority, but also the fact that NATO partners disagree. We must choose a course that involves touch and leads to a satisfying solution.

DW: Do you think this is the right moment to form the Armed Forces, now that the trust report with the Serb minority is not so good, because even the Serb-Kosovo dialogue is not making progress?

From the German government's point of view, we see this reserved. But we also understand that progress in open issues must be recognised and therefore hopefully and we are working on this transition process. The Kosovo Security Force has been trained professionally and it must maintain this level and develop by creating structures that function without support. This also serves the international community's commitment to Kosovo. We will advise and give our support to create self-resistant structures in Kosovo.

We have been present for nearly 20 years in Kosovo with Bundeswehr soldiers. Some time ago the 50th German contingent left Prizren, but we will remain in Pristina, with about 70 people. We are also involved in the NATO team (NALT) that advises KSF to carry out its duties without outside support. We also support capacity building, for example, in the field of logistics and sanitation services. As for the equipment, when we left Prizren camp, we left several vehicles there. But above all, this camp is now becoming a technological and educational park. This is a very important message for us: on the ground of stability, achieved with Bundeswehr's support, we can organise civil reconstruction and thus invest in future generations, in education and innovation. Military engagement follows a close civilian partnership.

DW: What role will it play NATO when the Kosovo Army is created?

NATO follows open door policy. The states are independent and must decide for themselves for alliances and security contributions. Montenegro as newest member NATO can be taken as an orientation example. But this initiative should come from partner countries. Regarding Kosovo, there is an open question of sovereignty and relations with Serbia. This is a prerequisite for starting such a fundamental course.

DW: Currently, there is only one concrete proposal for resolving these issues: The so-called border correction proposed by the president of Kosovo and his counterpart from Serbia. How do you see this?

It is really the job of the two countries to find a consensus solution. As for possible exchange of territories, we are very reserved. With solutions like this, we haven't had a good experience in Europe. We must avoid boundaries along ethnic lines. They are not sustainable. The war in Yugoslavia showed that there are strong interdependences among different ethnic groups. Our goal is peaceful coexistence among members of different ethnic groups. It cannot be divided by limits and therefore should not have population exchanges, but we must work to make people have a future in the country they feel like their own.