Kosovo Army, a success story in 13 years of state

On the 13th anniversary of independence, the Kosovo Security Force is assessing success stories along the road to statehood. So why not always have enough budgets, The KSF has entered the third year of implementing the Kosovo Army transformation plan, which the Force Commander says has exceeded the expectations of this plan. Lieutenant General Gjundman Rama says the establishment of KSF capacities is being done with the help of strategic partners.

In an interview for KosovoPress, the KSF commander says the greatest success over these years remains the uniform of the Kosovo State Army.

“The KSF is a story of success over the past 13 years, all say and see the results that we are the most respectable institution in the country. Normally, every process has its own challenges, and over this period of time, we have also been reminded of the challenges of building a new institution in Kosovo, but despite challenges we have achieved that goal and goal that we have had and that is a century-old goal and goal and that we have managed to have the army but also to have the uniform of our state”, he says.

The Kosovo Security Force has entered the third year of the 10-year transition plan, with a new mission and mandate.

“E has concluded the second year of transition, we have begun the third year of transition that is much more challenging, more complex but with all these achievements we have and with the interior personnel we have no doubt that we will not achieve, we will realise those plans that we have. This plan is flexible, depending on the situation we also operate in the first two years of transition, we have exceeded our expectations and our planning, despite all the challenges we've had during this period, especially in this time of the end of the pandemic, but we've managed to do our plans. Our expectations are beyond what we have planned. It's a good development, I don't want to talk about time right now, we have a plan that we're going to stick to but that may be flexible, depending on the situation, we have to change the course of action”, says KSF commander.

Gen Rama says the need for more budgets has increased in the last period after the laws for KSF were passed in the Kosovo Assembly and the transition phase began with the mission and new military mandate.

However, planning has overall been realised, he says, adding that the United States and other partner countries that have helped it have a key role for this KSF in capacity building.

KSF successes have often witnessed even with the participation of members of the world's most prestigious military academys, for which they have been rewarded by partner countries.

The Kosovo Security Force currently has 2,000 and 747 active soldiers, while aiming to have 5 thousand active soldiers and a 2,000-strong reserve force.

Currently, they are in the phase of selecting 400 new recruits, but the pandemic situation has postponed the process and it is expected that basic training will begin in the second half of this year.

“We are in the final phase of selecting even 400 new recruits and that we plan on the basis of our plan, in the second phase of this year, to start basic training for 400 recruits that after the completion of basic training, those who meet all criteria will be part of the Kosovo Security Force. For six months it's been postponed, because of the huge number of applicants that had to be respected by the rules of the pandemic, and we haven't been able to invite the number that we've planned and had to postpone as a process, but we're on the basis of our plan, and our idea and goal has been that in January of this year we have 400 (soldiers) active, has been postponed due to the pandemic in the second six-month, which we expect in early September to have 400 new soldiers of FSK-1x>, he says.

The Kosovo Assembly, in 2018, has adopted legal changes to transform the mandate of the Kosovo Security Force into the Kosovo Army. The process of transforming the Force into full military capacities is meant to last 10 years.