Kosovo's road in a quarter century of freedom

25 years ago, on June 12, 1999, NATO peacekeeping troops entered Kosovo after a 78-day air campaign against Serbian military and police targets. With their introduction to “burned ground”, they ended the war launched in 1998, between the Kosovo Liberation Army and the Serbian occupational forces.

The entry of NATO troops took place after the Kumanovo Agreement, which was reached in 09.06.1999, between Serbian officials and NATO authorities, led by British General Mike Jackson at the time. With this agreement, Serbia accepted the surrender and was forced to withdraw all police and military forces from Kosovo.

25 years from that day, mission NATO, KFOR, continues to manage the security situation, both south and north of Kosovo.

25 years ago, on June 12, 1999, NATO peacekeeping troops entered Kosovo after a 78-day air campaign against Serbian military and police targets. With their introduction to “burned ground”, they ended the war launched in 1998, between the Kosovo Liberation Army and the Serbian occupational forces.

The entry of NATO troops took place after the Kumanovo Agreement, which was reached in 09.06.1999, between Serbian officials and NATO authorities, led by British General Mike Jackson at the time. With this agreement, Serbia accepted the surrender and was forced to withdraw all police and military forces from Kosovo.

25 years from that day, mission NATO, KFOR, continues to manage the security situation, both south and north of Kosovo.

For marking the anniversary of freedom, in the Kosovo Assembly, in 10,06.2024, a solemn session was organised, where former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is praised as one of Kosovo's biggest supporters, was hosted along with former US President Bill Clinton.

Blair said before MPs that NATO's “bonds -- 25 years ago against Yugoslav forces to stop violence in Kosovo -- were the right thing to do”.

“We helped and I never regretted this” -- Blair said.

And retired American General Wesley Clark, who has led NATO's air campaign against Serb military targets in 1999, has expressed confidence that between Kosovo and Serbia there can be no stability, until “Moscow withdraws its imperialist ambitions from the” region.

In an interview for Radio Free Europe, he has said “Serbia is like a magnet attracting Russian imperial ambitions to Europe”

Serbia must understand that its future is with the West. When Serbs understand that, there will be no problems with Kosovo”, Clark has declared.

Meanwhile, former NATO Secretary Lord George Robertson, during a speech at the summit for the Western Balkans held in Pristina, has remembered that at the time, they have been forced to take action against Slobodan Milosevic's paramilitary forces”, which tried to make Kosovo's ethnic cleansing.

Based on the Fund's data on Humanitarian Law over 13,500 people have died or disappeared during and shortly after the war between January 1998 and December 2000.

Yes, according to this organization, 1024 children were killed during the last war.

And, according to the Government Commission's data on missing persons, 1617 people still are missing from the war.

Interformation of the Army and Declaration of Independence

After Kosovo's liberation agreement was signed for the deilitarisation of the Kosovo Liberation Army and in September 1999, the Kosovo Protection Corps (TMK) was established as a non-military force, but as a reaction force in case of natural disasters.

Nine years later, on February 17th 2008, Kosovo was declared an independent state.

This anniversary finds this country renowned by 117 countries in the world, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.

The last state on the list that has recognised Kosovo's independence is Israel, on February 1st of 2021.

Kosovo is still not recognised by five EU member states: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

Immediately after declaring independence, Kosovo in co-ordination with international partners began preparations for forming the Kosovo Security Force (FSK). These preparations ended in January 2009.

Not long after the establishment of the KSF, dreams began to transform it into a regular army.

This was achieved on December 14, 2018, when Kosovo's Assembly, with 106 votes for and one abstention, adopted three laws changing the mandate of the Kosovo Security Force in the Kosovo Army, but without being renamed.

The KSF, currently, has about 2,500 members. After the transition period, this number is expected to grow to over 7,500 and include active members and reserve.

Since 1999 when it is estimated that some 50,000 KFOR soldiers were deployed in Kosovo, this peacekeeping mission now has about 4,500 troops in Kosovo from 27 NATO states and partner states.

25 years after the liberation, in May of this year, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has approved the recommendation for advancing Kosovo's status from observer members to associated members.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has thanked member states that have approved the advancement of Kosovo's position and has said the future of the country she leads is in NATO.

This decision will ensure that the voice of the most proding people will be heard - NATO around the world. We will continue our efforts, together with the Allies, to advance on our path towards membership in NATO”, Osmani said through an X post, the platform previously known as Twitter.

Serbia, which does not recognise Kosovo's independence on the other hand, is constantly engaged in lobbying campaigns against the newest state in Europe.

Kosovo authorities have called for accelerated NATO membership, as Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kosovo borders three NATO member states -- Albania, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia.

Kosovo membership in international organisations

Over 16 years of citizenship and 25 years of freedom, Kosovo has become a member of several international organisations, such as: The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Olympic Committee, the European Football Federation and the World Football Federation.

But Kosovo is not yet a member of the United Nations, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, and so on.

There was expectations in Kosovo that at the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers meeting on May 17th, 2024, it would be sealed that the newest state in Europe would become the 47th member of the KiE.

But, out of some states, Kosovo has been asked to hand over the draft status draft for the establishment of the Serbian Majority Commission Association in the Constitutional Court as a step towards gaining the support of most representatives of the KiE member states for membership in this organisation.

Foreign Affairs and Diaspore Minister Donika Grovalla-Swarz, in 16,05.2024, has sent letters to the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as she has said, the pledge to prepare a draft that envisions “the creation of a mechanism for singleness”.

The government's offer has not been taken into account, and thus, the issue of Kosovo's membership in this organisation has not been placed on the agenda of this meeting.

At the Parliamentary Assembly in 16,04.2024, Kosovo has managed to secure sufficient votes from delegates to member states of this international mechanism.

Kosovo has applied in 12,05.22, for membership in the Council of Europe, with the delivery of the app by Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Donika Grovalla.

Meanwhile, the long-standing association issue remains without a solution. Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreement on Association in 2013 and later 2015 on principles for its establishment.

Freedom of movement and unfinished dialogue

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of liberation, Kosovo marked one achieved in the free movement of citizens. Visa liberalisation is one of the topics most promised to Kosovo citizens over the years, while on January 1st, 2024, they have gained the right to visa-free travel to the Schengen Zone.

13 out of the 25 years of liberation, political developments in Kosovo have characterised dialogue on normalising relations with Serbia, launched in 2011.

During this process, many agreements have been signed, but few have managed to implement.

The 25th anniversary of liberation is also being marked in Kosovo with various manifestations. The events for the 25th anniversary footnote have started from June 8th to June 21st.

In Pristina, two prestigious scientific conferences -- “a quarter century of statehood, challenges and multidisciplinary approach” -- were organised, and “Rugova and West”.

While in 10,06,2024, British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Kosovo, who was declared a town of honour “” of Pristina.

The visit included Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who held a meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, attended the conference organised by the LDK, and met with Pristina chairman Pringova.

Under the activities, the 12 June solemn session of the Kosovo Assembly will be held, while members of the Kosovo Security Force will parade through the capital square. /Kallex