Kosovo Defense Minister Ejup
Maqedonci said today that the process of transforming the Kosovo
Security Force into a full-fledged regular Army is currently in
its second phase.In statements to the Ekonomiaonline website,
picked up by Serbian media, the minister added that in the third
phase of this transition process, which is being carried out in
cooperation and with the support of the United States and Great
Britain, the Kosovo Forces will also be equipped with a fleet of
helicopters - between 2025 and 2028. This third phase will
enhance the Army's operational capabilities and combat
potential, with support for air force and anti-aircraft defense.
Pristina, despite strong opposition from Belgrade, which does
not recognize Kosovo's independence, continues to establish its
own regular Armed Forces, despite the fact that under Security
Council Resolution 1244 (of 1999) the only Armed Force
authorized to operate on Kosovo territory is KFOR, the NATO
Peacekeeping Force. The Kosovo Security Force, several thousand
strong, has an exclusively civilian and emergency response
mandate. In fact, Belgrade's response was not long in coming:
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sharply criticized
Maqedonci's remarks. In statements to the Serbian press from New
York, where he arrived yesterday to attend the UN General
Assembly, Vucic reiterated that on the basis of Security Council
Resolution 1244 the authorities in Pristina have no right to
create any Armed Force. "This is not a possible threat to the
Serbian Army, but a possible threat to the Serbian population in
Kosovo, there is no doubt," Vucic said. With Resolution 1244,
the Uck should have been disbanded, but instead of implementing
this provision, Vucic noted, Pristina started the creation of
its own Army. The Uck is the Kosovo Liberation Army, the
Albanian independence guerrilla that fought against the Serb
Forces in the 1998-1999 armed conflict. The president said he
will address the General Assembly on Tuesday, and much of his
speech will focus on the Kosovo crisis and the violation of the
principles of international law by the major Western powers.
Vucic -- who will stay in New York until Sept. 27 -- has
announced meetings and talks with dozens of world leaders,
starting today with Turkish President Redzep Tayyip Erdogan.
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