UN: Kosovo not deviate from KSF transition plan

The United States welcomes Kosovo's aspirations for NATO membership, but requirements for membership are complex and require a long-term and cautious approach, a spokesman for the US State Department told Radio Europe.

“Kosovo can best prove its readiness for the responsibilities that bring NATO membership, continuing the active implementation of the 10-year transition plan [of the Kosovo Security Forces] and failing to deviate from it”, the spokesman added.

The response by the US State Department comes after Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, through a letter bearing the date of March 10th, has asked the president of the United States, Joe Biden, to exploit “leadership and influence, to actively support and advance the complex process of Kosovo membership in NATO”.

“Since we share the common goal of protecting and promoting global security, Kosovo's NATO membership has become necessary”, Osmani has said in the letter he has seen Radio Free Europe.

She has said that the world's eyes are now on the war in Ukraine, but, according to her, “should not forget the fragile situation we face in the Balkans”.

“We are exposed to Russia's continued efforts to undermine Kosovo and destabilise the entire Western Balkans”, Osmani has said.

The US State Department spokesman told Free Europe Radio that the United States is committed to helping Kosovo secure its rightful country in European and Euro-Atlantic institutions”.

“We continue to support the Kosovo Security Force until it makes significant and significant progress in its 10-year transition plan, which has been developed with US support, in order to build a multiethnic defence force, which is not only able to protect Kosovo's territorial integrity, but also to contribute to global security efforts beyond its”, the spokesman said.

The Kosovo Security Force has been in the process of becoming a full-fledged army since 2018. This process is expected to last ten years.

It is expected that the KSF, during the transformation, will double its number of forces and become a professional army of 5,000 troops.

Former KSF tasks have included crisis response and civil protection.

Following the adoption of legislation needed for its transformation, the United States has said the move is the natural “” for a “sovereign and independent” and has called for continuing Kosovo-Serbia dialogue for normalisation of relations.

NATO, on the other hand, has singled out the KSF's decision as temporary “” and has said it is contrary to councils from the alliance.

Russia, Serbia's traditional ally, from which Kosovo declared independence in 2008, has condemned the move, saying it is a sign that the situation in the Balkans is deteriorating.

Besides the president, Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has said that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia means that the European Union and NATO should make membership of candidate countries easier in their ranks.

Kurti has made these comments in an interview for the French news agency AFP on March 8th.

In this extraordinary situation, we cannot behave normally... Therefore, neither EU membership nor NATO membership can be done in the old ways”, Kurti has said.

He has not provided details as to what other way to membership of NATO countries may be, but has said Brussels, as the capital of NATO and the EU must rethink the new way of enlargement with the Western Balkans.

An official NATO has told Radio Free Europe on March 21st that the criteria for NATO membership are clearly defined in the Washington Treaty [or the North Atlantic Treaty] and that “decisions for NATO membership are taken by the North Atlantic Council, by unanimous vote”.

Of the 30 NATO member states, four have not yet recognised Kosovo's independence: Greece, Spain, Romania and Slovakia.

Jamie Shea, former deputy deputy NATO secretary general, has said earlier about Radio Free Europe That, while Kosovo is protected by NATO, it must work towards membership first by removing the barrier of non-recognising states.

Official NATO has said that its engagement in Kosovo has not changed and that it remains strongly committed, through its peacekeeping mission KFOR, which “contributes to a safe environment in Kosovo and for broader stability in the Western Balkans”.

Among NATO's advisory and liaison team, we also continue to carry out our activities to build capacities in support of security organisations in Kosovo, within their initial mandate. Any change in our position of force in KFOR is based on conditions and not on calendars”, the official has said.

NATO forces have been present in Kosovo since June 1999, when the war ended, and Serb forces have withdrawn. Over 3,700 soldiers from different NATO countries take care of security in Kosovo. / REL