Hoxhaj in the United States wants KSF to be turned into military

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj is participating in the US Adriatic Charter meeting in Zagreb, where US Defence Secretary James Mattis is first present.

In his speech, Hoxhaj has asked before Secretary Mattis and member states for Kosovo to become with the army, since it is ready and meets all parameters to gain the right of a literal army.

It is important to stress here that the Kosovo Security Force is ready to be transformed into a traditional military force with a territorial defence mandate. It is our sovereign right to take this action. It is a process of establishing and preparing professional KSF from the start from NATO and partner states. However, this process is in Limbo in recent years. Kosovo is the only state in the Balkans and in Europe that does not have an army due to external obstacles to complete the” transition, Hoxhaj has said. He has blamed Serbia for the political blockade by misusing Serb deputies, though he has warned of the beginning of the KSF's transformation process into the Armed Forces.

Likewise, Hoxhaj has requested full membership of Kosovo in the Adriatic Charter, since for several years it is only as an observer member state. This topic, raised by other states, such as Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia, has been deemed necessary for Kosovo to move further and organisations from A5 to take place in A6. US Defence Secretary Mattis is visiting the Balkans for the first time, participating in this particular US-Adriatic Charter meeting. /