Quinn: Serbs don't want to leave Kosovo Security Force

Defence Minister Anton Kuni says problems with the removal of Serb members from the Kosovo Security Force have been stabilised and now, as long as there are no such requests for evacuation. In an interview for KosovoPress, Quinn also talks about realising the year's plan, problems caused by the pandemic, cutting the budget for the military, and helping international partners.

After the establishment of KSF capacities, Serbia's authorities in various forms, even through blackmailing, had launched pressure on KSF soldiers, part of the Serb community, which had also caused many of them to surrender their uniform by leaving the force.

Defence Minister Anton Kuni says that now and how long has there been no such demands from Serbs at KSF.

However, pressure from Belgrade has continued in different forms, as in the past, Serb KSF members continue to remain loyal to the Force.

The “we can say that it has remained, is a period when we have not had the demands of members of the Serb community leaving the KSF. [...] We continue to give support to all those who remain loyal to the Kosovo Security Force by taking security measures, dealing with the most essential problems, for all these events are reported to all the highest state authorities and I believe they consider our concern because it is not only concern of the Serbian community, but of the entire KSF because we don't want any member of the KSF to be a victim of any pressure, blackmail coming from outside Kosovo”

The KSF is in the recruiting phase, and 400 new members are expected to be accepted next year, including from minority communities.

It has been two years since KSF has begun the process of transforming Quinn says they are entering the third year with the fulfillment of all the pre-planned issues.

We are providing equipment and technical means that ensure the implementation of separate entity missions, so we are approaching the stage when most units can declare the skills to carry out specific tasks. In 2028 we have the opportunity to declare full capabilities of the Kosovo Security Forces”, he says.

In the interview given for KosovoPress says they are on the move with the previous 10-year plan, and it cannot be thought that the transition process towards full-fledged military power conversion will end faster than 2028, given the situation caused by the pandemic with COVID-19.

“In this (transitional) plan, field experts have worked, in co-operation with strategic partners experts, when this plan has been drafted, many factors have been taken into account, developments in the region, risk cofficiency cofficiency, needs, budgetary and other opportunities, and has been constantly drawn up with forecasts on optimum conditions. Now to think about proving this process in the context of the pandemic, I can say it would be utopistic because it should be taken into account the needs of other institutions, so we're sticking to that dynamic pre-conception plan, says Quinn.

Due to the pandemic, he has been cut off with budget revision for the military and given priority to the health and economy sector.

And every army needs more budgets because any increase in funds means great opportunities for military development, but we need to take into account facts and arguments and we always rely on empirical data and not just desire. Even budget cuts have influenced but, fortunately, we have good reports with strategic partners, whose economy is much more powerful and in these difficult cases for Kosovo as a whole, but specifically for the Kosovo Security Forces or the security sector in general, we have really had partners who, even in this situation, have come to our aid, we have achieved the form of donations to compensate for all the shortcomings that have been presented”, says Quinn.

Anton Quinn was appointed defence minister in the LDK-Vetevendosje coalition government, but the leadership of this ministry continued with the government led by Avdullah Hoti of the LDK-AAK-Nisma coalition.

But with the Constitutional Court's decision, which has ruled that the Hoti Government has been elected unconstitutionally, Kosovo is expected to become with new institutions stemming from the extraordinary elections.

However, the possible change of title to the Ministry of Defence is not seen as a concern by Quinn, who claims for Kosova Preis that he is leaving a long-spread detailed plan with plans for jobs and processes that await this dictatorship.

For every minister, it is a privilege to come and exercise democratic and civilian control, civil leadership because things are well arranged. [...] Every minute at the ministry and KSF is planned, it is known for days, weeks and months which processes are in expectation, in development, in conclusion, so even with the arrival of the new minister exactly what will happen in March or June, even in terms of laws and the aspect of establishing frameworks, field exercises that will take place”, says Quinn.