Kosovo does not back away from forming military

Kosovo authorities believe they have the necessary support of NATO and the United States of America for transforming the Kosovo Security Force into military capacities.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's statements that this transformation is taking place in an inappropriate “ ” are seen as reflecting the attitudes of some NATO member states, which do not recognise Kosovo's independence.

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has reaffirmed on Friday that there is no dilemma about voting three bills to transform the Kosovo Security Force into military capacities on December 14th.

“NATO is an organisation of several security countries and the opinion of a NATO member does not return to the decision, in fact decisions are made only when all agree, so we are not in the way of working with NATO. If this is a request and is not approved by others it does not change anything”, Haradinaj stressed.

“At the same time, the US position is for more stability in Kosovo and the region. This attitude has been consistently expressed by US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Costett, so it is in line with previous statements by US Department officials, where even in Belgrade they have said Kosovo will have the” army, the Kosovo prime minister said.

On the other hand, Kosovo Assembly Chairman Kadri Wessel, who is standing on a visit to the United States through a media communique, said support for the Kosovo Security Force has been confirmed once again, even after its transformation into the Kosovo Army.

This support of the United States has said Wessel will continue to be given in training and education, but in other aspects of its military functioning.
Wessel was quoted as saying that Kosovo's military of peace will be in the Balkans, but also in other areas wherever its commitment will be required in preserving peace.

Despite NATO's reluctance to transform the Kosovo Security Force into military capacities, even connoisseurs of military and security issues say Kosovo should not be averted.

Ramadan Qehaja, expert on military and security issues, told Radio Europe Free, that position of NATO, for the formation of the Kosovo Army, has been expected, as long as before, that some NATO member states have not recognised Kosovo as an independent state.

According to Qehaja, Serbian diplomacy has also been so powerful and significant for those states that have truly wanted to prevent the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into the Armed Forces.

“NATO Jens Stoltenberg certainly had to take that stand after having polarized the issue and said what he said, but that doesn't mean we have to back off”.

“As far as the U.S. position has been like this, saying that we should not rush to wait and talk with the local Serbs, we've taken all our chances and remember that America has finally realised that we should have a security force of Kosovo which has the military mandate that it has not had until now, says Qehaja.

Experts Qehaja adds that Kosovo is in a non-volable position, according to him respectively, is a major delay in forming the Kosovo Army. He adds that forming the new task force makes Kosovo a security hub in other countries where it may need to.

That 20 years after the country's liberation and 10 years of independent state we have no Armed Forces, that's meaningless. Our armed force, which will take place on December 14th, reportedly has no offensive, offensive claims against Serbia, which is trumpeting that this force will be destabilising in the Balkans, I think there is nothing real about it. This force will be stabilising for the Balkans as soon as possible, will be used for our self-defence and will contribute to peaceful missions in the world where the need will be”, says Qehaja.

Wednesday, Secretary General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, warned official Pristina that it will face “serious consequences if it continues with the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into the Kosovo Army”.

According to Stoltenberg, this process is being guided “into a highly inappropriate moment, without respect for procedures”.

Until, a day earlier, US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Costett said in an interview for Kosovo Radio Television that Washington has supported the development of the Kosovo Security Force and its development in Armed Forces.

Costett has said that despite concerns from neighbouring countries for the evolution of KSF in the Armed Forces, Kosovo has every reason and has the right to have self-protective capabilities”.

By contrast, from the Commission for Internal Affairs, Security and Supervision of the Kosovo Security Force, they have indicated that the commission has completed all affairs regarding the laws for the KSF and that they, on December 14th, will be in the Assembly for approval.

The Kosovo Security Force currently has missions for intervention and emergency, because its defence capacity has KFOR's multinational peacekeeping force.

Establishing the capabilities of the Kosovo Security Force is meant to pass through a transition of several years in co-ordination with NATO. /rel