20 minutes agoGerman Parliament extends KFOR mandate
Periskopi(2 years ago)
(2 years ago)German soldiers will participate for another year in the NATO-led international security presence in Kosovo (KFOR). This was approved by Bundestag on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in a prestigious vote of 535 votes, 91 against and two abstentions. At the start of the session, MPs greeted some of [...] with long ovations.
At the beginning of the session, MPs greeted with lengthy ovations some of the Kosovo war veterans who were present in the stands, including former KFOR Commander Roland Kather. Previously in Parliament there was a debate about 40-minutes.
Roth and Mijatovic: Critical of Vuci's Policyq
Boris Mijatovic (The Green) stressed the need for KFOR's mission as a stabilizer in the region for 25 years and praised soldiers' commitment. He criticised Vuciqi's nationalist policy and other politicians who fuel tensions and noted the importance of KFOR for security. His nationalist “poses a deliberate danger to the region. The Serbian Army at the border with the Republic of Kosovo is no coincidence and no sign of peaceful goals,” said, recalling that tones in the region are becoming even more nationalistic.
Michael Roth, chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Committee, demanded that the European Union end Serbia's calming policy and strengthen democracy and the rule of law. Roth expressed his frustration that Kosovo is not yet a member of the Council of Europe. He noted the importance of giving hope to people in Kosovo and stressed that reform efforts are valid. I am very disappointed that my parliamentary group's strong desire, supported by coalition parliamentary groups and CDU/ The CSU was not taken into account, and the Committee of Ministers -- that is, governments, not MPs -- who represent us on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers -- refused to approve Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe. ”
The situation is very fragile, Roth said, referring to the language used by fans at the championship: “There is so much nationalistic hatred and we must achieve that through closer exchanges among young people, we can eliminate this hatred. It should come to a regional reconciliation. We must also face difficult chapters. And it is unacceptable that with Kosovo's non-recognition or denial of genocide in Srebrenica becoming politics on the backs of people in the region”, Roth said
AFD, BSW and May against extension
As every year, even this time the mandate was extended with the votes of the centre-left coalition -- consisting of three parties, the SPD, the Greens -- and the FDP -- as well as the largest opposition parliamentary group, the conservative wing, the CDU/ CSU. The far-left and right parties voted against it.
Hannes Gnack ( AfD) argued against extending KFOR's mandate, stressing three arguments, according to him: the outdated UN resolution, high costs and questionable efficiency, and lack of long-term perspective and local security responsibility. “Taking into account these arguments is not only reasonable but also necessary to refuse the mandate for German participation in KFOR. Even on this mission, 29 German soldiers have lost their lives. It's time to end this mission,” said the AfD politician.
Nastic: Kurti seeks Greater Albania
Hard in rhetoric was especially the former Left Office, today Bündnis Sahra Wagencnecht (BSW), the Nastic ʼaklin, under which the Western intervention at “Kosovo and Metohija” was illegal and has brought nothing but more divisions. “You support an ultranationalist like Kurti in Pristina with his fantasies for Greater Albania, whose supporters now even cheered openly on the murder of Serbs on the streets of Germany. That's what your silence is all about. ”
The last speaker, Thomas Silberhorn, former state secretary at the German Ministry of Defence and now CSU defence expert, rejected this. The true “,”, he said, “that during the European Football Championship, fans from Albania and Croatia cheered slogans as death to Serbs. At the same time, Serbian fans had nationalist slogans like Kosovo is Serbia on their flags.” Silberhorn stressed: “These events indicate continuing ethnic tensions in the region. ”
mandate for EUFOR Althea and U NIFIL
On the same day, Bundestag also approved extending mandates for EUFOR Althea missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and U NIFIL in Lebanon. For the EUFOR Althea mission, Germany keeps up to 50 soldiers ready, while for KFOR in Kosovo, up to 400 soldiers. Total costs for these two German military missions in the region are envisioned at around 10.1m euros for Althea and up to 21.8m euros for KFOR. /DW
