Kosovo continues in Army creation. Serbia, has no right to it

(ANSA) - BELGRADO, 22 SET - 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.
    (ANSA).