Serbs interested in becoming KSF soldiers

Annie why a large number of them left last year, the Serbs' interest in serving in security institutions in the Republic of Kosovo is considerable. For only 70 jobs in the Kosovo Security Force and the KSF ministry, about 300 members of the Serb community have been reported.

The institutions are determined that the new force will also be multiethnic and in the interest of all Kosovo citizens.

KSF Minister Rrustem Berisha, who will lead the Ministry of Protection, in an interview for Kosovo Press talks about transforming KSF into the Kosovo Army.

He says the current capacities the Force will carry in the new mandate, and will develop other necessary for the new force.

Asked about the Serb members who, from pressure from Belgrade, left the KSF, and the fulfillment of the hot spots there, Berisha has shown that he has a lot of interest from other Serbs.

He has announced that in the first three months of this year, he will meet those jobs.

“Diku for 70 jobs has reported nearly 300 members of the Serb community who are interested in being part of our structure. Part of the demands are on the commander, over 200, the rest are on us, so we plan to complete these jobs with members of the Serb community. We are very determined that this force will be multiethnic, which will be represented by all Kosovo citizens and in the interest of all citizens”, he says.

Berisha expects that a sweeping agreement between Kosovo and Serbia would also affect the integration of the Serb community into KSF and other institutions.

He stresses that they have no territorial claims on any neighbouring state, and that the same should be true of the Republic of Kosovo.

The “With constitutional changes will be changed only the name, and we will have the support of the Serb community as well, while the Mandanti, mission, competencies, organisation, all of these are determined by law. In this 10-year term, if there's a more adaptable environment, why not change the name of KSF”... All the competencies, tasks, organisation, there is no difference from other armies, with the adoption of these laws beginning to build protective capacities, because we have no territorial claims against any neighbouring state, and we expect others to have such an access”, he says.

Berisha says the force will operate on the entire territory of Kosovo.

The Kosovo Security Force, even with the new mandate, will operate on the entire territory of Kosovo, as we manage to build those full capacities, then the Kosovo Security Force activity will be on the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo”, he says.

For Kosova Preiss, Berisha shows that in the first 120 days, it is envisioned for the MSF to be transformed into the ministry of defence, but stresses that it will be a challenging year.

The “in the first 120 days is envisioned for the Ministry of the Kosovo Security Force to be transformed into the Ministry of Defence, then reshuffle of the General Staff and commands such as ground force command, training and doctrine command, logistics command and National Guard. It is a very challenging year, as is one of the other challenges, is the drafting or planning in terms of documentation that will support the development of this force in strategic, operational and tactical documentation”, he says.

On December 14th 2018, Kosovo's Assembly adopted the three-law package that paves the way for the transfer of KSF to the Kosovo Army. And on December 28th, the country's president signed documents and procedures concluded with their publication in the official newspaper.

The transformation of KSF is being made with legal changes, since constitutional changes require the support of the Serbian List in the Kosovo Assembly, and the latter continue to oppose the formation of the Kosovo Army.