The Acting Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, stated that they will respect the commitment made by the country's authorities in 2023 not to deploy the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) in the north without prior coordination with KFOR. However, he emphasized that they do not agree with these restrictions.

Maqedonci said on Wednesday that they have received confirmation that U.S. troops will remain present in Kosovo through KFOR. Additionally, according to him, discussions are underway with the U.S. regarding military presence beyond this mandate.

Kosovo authorities, led at the time by then-Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, had pledged not to send soldiers to the north – a region predominantly inhabited by Serbs – without prior approval from KFOR.

Maqedonci stated on Wednesday at a press conference following the government meeting that he has never reaffirmed this agreement.

“A letter I wrote to the KFOR commander has often been misinterpreted. I have never made a reaffirmation. The Minister of Defense does not reaffirm a letter that was pledged by a prime minister to the NATO Secretary-General. We have said that we will respect that commitment, even though we do not agree with the restrictions on the KSF’s operations in the north without prior coordination with KFOR. We will continue to respect this commitment by coordinating with KFOR before deploying troops in the north,” he emphasized.

At a conference held Tuesday in Pristina, NATO’s chief was asked whether there had been any change in NATO’s stance regarding the transformation of the KSF into an army.

“The mandate is for the KSF to have what it needs to be effective in its humanitarian role here in Kosovo. This is the mandate that NATO has to help the KSF become better and to be a strong humanitarian force,” said Rutte.

Regarding NATO’s statements, Maqedonci said that Kosovo established its army through legal changes in 2018, and it is recognized as such by states bilaterally.

Maqedonci further stated that discussions are ongoing to ensure that NATO, as an institution, will recognize the new mandate of the KSF in the near future.

“We will continue discussions with our NATO partners so that NATO, as an institution, officially recognizes the new KSF mandate in the near future. It is important to emphasize that within the Ministry of Defense and the KSF, NATO has a special mission carried out through a liaison and advisory team,” he stressed.

On Wednesday, the Government of Kosovo approved the initiative to establish a framework agreement for cooperation in the field of defense with the United States of America.

Maqedonci stated that the agreement with the U.S. will enable the KSF to have a fleet of helicopters.

“The agreement addresses the issue of air capabilities and the establishment of a helicopter fleet. This is a capability planned for development within the Kosovo Security Force. Additionally, we have had important discussions on this matter during our visit to Washington with the KSF commander. We visited the factory where Black Hawk helicopters are produced and discussed detailed matters regarding these helicopters and the procedural possibilities for their purchase. We have the support of the United States for acquiring these helicopters, just as we have support for purchasing many other systems that will be part of the KSF in the third phase of transition. Furthermore, regarding Javelin missiles, we are in the process of executing payments, and we will have them in the KSF on time. We are making efforts to have some delivered as early as this year, even though I have emphasized that the Kosovo Army does not lack anti-tank capabilities, as we have made previous purchases,” he said.

Speaking about U.S. military support for Kosovo, he confirmed that this presence will continue.

“We continue to receive confirmation that the U.S. Army will remain present as part of KFOR. Beyond this, we are also interested in and discussing the possibility of U.S. military presence outside of the KFOR mandate, meaning bilaterally, by engaging in joint activities with the KSF. We are discussing U.S. military presence in two directions: one related to their independent decision to continue being part of KFOR, and the second through bilateral cooperation so that the U.S. has a presence in Kosovo not only for training purposes but also for the use of our spaces for shared strategic objectives,” he emphasized.

Maqedonci also spoke about the construction of a munitions factory in Kosovo, stating that the plan is for it to be built in the western part of the country, outside the range of any potential threat from Serbia.

/KosovaPress