Experts show whether mandatory military service can be done in Kosovo

According to him, such a service will help the KSF fulfil its duties in the field of defence. But former KSF leaders and security connoisseurs in the country are considering that such a thing is currently unnecessary, the cost of which Kosovo's budget could not cover. Meanwhile, the defence ministry says the KSF will implement any law adopted by the Kosovo Assembly.

In his speech to Kosovo Parliament deputies, just hours before the new government was voted in, Albin Kurti also spoke of the governing plan in the security field.

He said that with his rule, preparations will begin for military service to make it mandatory, in line with the best practices and standards of NATO countries.

With our governance, military service becomes mandatory. In line with the best practices and standards of NATO countries, we will begin preparations for the mandatory military service. This service will be in the three-month term, which will help KSF fulfil its duties and additional role in the defence field” said Kurti during the presentation of the governing programme at the government's” voting session, Kurti said in the Kosovo Assembly.

But, former Kosovo Security Force Commander Kadri Kastrati is considering that KSF has not yet established all initial capacities, and such a project does not have the time now.

According to him, mandatory military service is unnecessary in Kosovo and very costly, since according to him, it should focus on building and maintaining operational capacities planned for the 10-year transition plan.

The initial security force hasn't established or the military yet. And it would take a few years, a minimum seven years for Kosovo to have its army with operational capacities that are planned and studied at the time. And only after that can we think of studying such a project that Kosovo has mandatory service. Under two, I think that Kosovo's economy at the moment is insufficient to deal with all these costs because it was assumed that some 15,016 young people turn 18 each year, Kosovo must build infrastructure, equipment, uniforms, food and all the accompanying needs to have very expensive and unnecessary military service at the moment”, Kastrati said.

Knowing the issues dealing with the army, Kadri Kastrati, says that if Kosovo intends to move towards NATO membership, then it should not worry if it is threatened by someone outside.

According to him, Prime Minister Albin Kurti's statement is political and without a good study.

“This budget for Kosovo what is planned in all the ministries that are envisioned would not be enough just to fulfill this project that Mr. Kurti has provided for the reasons that soldiers must have a bed, a uniform, equipment, weapons, many other equipment that at the moment are not much needed to build the capacities that are planned and study for the fulfillment of the Kosovo Army mission, and the main mission is to protect the country's integrity and sovereignty and participation in peacekeeping missions<1) Kastrati said.

Kosova Preris has also asked the Ministry of Defence for such a project. Ibrahim Shala, director of information in this ministry, has said the KSF does not adopt laws, except to implement laws adopted by the Assembly of Kosovo.

Kosovo is the Parliamentary Republic. The KSF is subject to civilian and democratic control, the KSF does not pass laws, it implements the laws of the Republic of Kosovo's Parliament. Any law approved for the KSF from the Parliament will implement”, Shala told Kosovas.

While, Rrustem Berisha, who has so far led the defence ministry, has told Kosovo Press that the mandatory military service is already an aging system and such an issue requires a separate study.

This is a special study, if it's meant in terms of civil education around defence, security, it's a good possibility to be realised, but we have a law specifying the KSF service, and of course that Mr. Quinn and the government will analyze, study the electoral promise given, and if they really have some idea, because the military service now in many NATO states is not practiced, it's a slightly older system, but if this is supposed to be done through different educations of training there are even present laws, but if something else is thought of and is deemed and that needs to be changed in the law of the Parliament for Kosovo, the FPC, said.

He says the new government's promise must be well analysed in order to know how much such a thing is needed and how much budget can be covered.

We remember that the Kosovo Security Force has spent its first year of transition, based on a plan envisioned for 10 years.

In the first year towards transformation into military, in November 2019 the force marked its day for the first time with its new military mandate.