Russia's strong Srbia responses against Kosovo Army

Serbian Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin says the creation of the Kosovo Army destabilises the region, while official Pristina says forming the military is in the interest of peace in the region.

US Assistant Secretary of State Wes Mitchell's statement, given in Belgrade, that “Kosovo has the right to establish its military force that would not be a threat to Serbia and Serbs” has prompted reactions in Serbia and abroad. After meeting with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, who opposes the founding of the Kosovo Army, US diplomat Wes Mitchell, who was visiting Kosovo, said the United States supports Kosovo-Serbia talks on normalising relations, while stressed that Kosovo has the right to establish its military force that would be no threat to Serbia and Serbs.

Kosovo has the right to form its professional forces that would deal with security and which would include Kosovo Serbs. We continue to say that no one can veto and prevent Kosovo from developing such” structures, Wes Mitchell said in Belgrade.

Against this American stance came immediate Serbian Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who, according to the Tanjug agency, said that Kosovo's “could have only one armed force, and they are KFOR peacekeeping forces based on KS Resolution 1244. Until the UN Security Council changes its decision so it will be, and for Serbia”, Alexander Volin said. According to him, quoted by Tanjug, Kosovo's “military can only be formed by brutal force”. “Establishing such illegal armed formations poses a threat to peace and stability throughout the Balkans”, says Serbian Defence Minister Alexander Voulin.

Moscow backs Serbia

Serbia's opposition to the Kosovo Armed Forces joined the official Moscow. The media in Serbia quoted the Russian foreign ministry's spokeswoman, Kharia Zaharova, who says that the Kosovo Army's “Creation would exacerbate the situation even more tense”.

The Kosovo Army's <x0mimation, the way it is being done, and the goals that were set when Serbia was torn apart, and when the territory of a sovereign state was divided, the way in the information and political plan has strengthened this new formation and all that has brought it, will also be a non-resistance factor on the European continent”, the spokeswoman Zaharov quoted media in Serbia as saying.

Authorities in Pristina have already made their goal of converting the Kosovo Security Force clear KSF, in the Kosovo Army. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who is supreme commander of the Kosovo Security Force, The KSF, says that the “formation of the Kosovo Army is in the interest of peace in Kosovo and the region. ”

This final step of doing Kosovo with Armed Forces after a long period of development of the Security Forces, in a brilliant partnership with the US, KFOR and NATO, is in the interest of all Kosovo citizens, in the interest of all security and peace communities in Kosovo and the region. Furthermore, we must make it clear that the Kosovo Armed Forces do not present any kind of threat, just as no threat today is presented. The KSF, therefore the only goal of the KSF today and the Kosovo Armed Forces tomorrow, will be the same, empowering peace and security in all countries in the region. This process, launched years ago, is gradually heading towards the final phase of”, was expressed in an earlier speech to citizens, President Hashim Thaci.

The transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into the Kosovo Army can be done by changing the Constitution of Kosovo, which requires two-thirds of the votes of Serbian deputies in the Kosovo assembly. And Serb deputies have already expressed categories against the formation of the Kosovo Army several times. Happened in this situation, President Hashim Thaci, late last year, initiated a law that would transform the KSF into the Kosovo Army, but without changing its name, thus avoiding constitutional changes. The president's initiative met in opposing the international community, which continues to insist that the return of the KSF to the military should be done only with constitutional changes. NATO Joint Allied Forces Commander James Foggo said that in Pristina two weeks ago.

The NATO Alliance and the North Atlantic Council were here a few months ago and they made it very clear that for NATO, if the transformation of KSF into the Kosovo Army is made, should take place after constitutional changes”, James Foggo had said. The Kosovo Security Force established after the KPC's transformation is a multiethnic force. She is easily armed, has her uniform and can only participate in operations to save civilians in case of natural crises. KFOR forces are still present in Kosovo with about five thousand troops. /dw