PRISTINA (Kosovo), December 14 (SeeNews) – Serbia considers the decision of the parliament in Pristina to turn the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into a professional army to be illegal and calls on NATO-led peacekeepers to prevent the transformation, a senior Serbian government official said on Friday.
"The Kosovo Army represents an illegal occupying armed formation on the territory of Serbia," the head of Serbia's government office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, said during a news conference broadcast live by public radio station Beograd 1.
Djuric called on the NATO-led international peacekeeping Kosovo Force (KFOR) to intervene and prevent the creation of Kosovo Army and warned that anyone who joins it would face legal action according to Serbia's laws.
Kosovo's parliament adopted earlier on Friday three laws for initiating the process of KSF transformation into a professional army, finalising the full internal consolidation of the Republic of Kosovo, the government in Pristina said.
A spokesperson for the European Commission commented that "like NATO, the European Union continues to share the view that the mandate of the KSF should only be changed through an inclusive and gradual process in accordance with Kosovo constitution."
"The European Union expects Kosovo to continue upholding its obligations under the First Agreement concluded in Brussels in April 2013 and its security arrangements," the spokesperson said in a statement.
The decision of the parliament in Pristina was backed by the US, while NATO warned that it was ill-timed, as it risks heightening tensions with Serbia which does not recognise the independence of Kosovo.
The US reaffirms its support for the gradual transition of the KSF to a force with a territorial defense mandate, as is Kosovo’s sovereign right, the US Embassy in Kosovo said in a press release after the vote.
“These laws bring no immediate change to the structure, mission, or operations of the force, rather, they represent the beginning of the practical, ongoing work of building a transparent, multi-ethnic, NATO-interoperable force that serves all of Kosovo’s communities, in accordance with the Government of Kosovo’s 10-year transition plan,” the US embassy noted.
The US embassy also said that regional stability requires that Pristina make genuine efforts to normalize relations with Belgrade.
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said that Kosovo has made its decision despite the concerns expressed by the Alliance, adding that all sides must ensure that the decision for KSF transition will not further increase tensions in the region.
“While the transition of the Kosovo Security Force is in principle a matter for Kosovo to decide, we have made clear that this move is ill-timed,” Stoltenberg said in a separate statement.
“NATO supports the development of the Kosovo Security Force under its current mandate. With the change of mandate, the North Atlantic Council will now have to re-examine the level of NATO’s engagement with the Kosovo Security Force,” NATO secretary general noted. “NATO remains committed through KFOR to a safe and secure environment in Kosovo and to stability in the wider Western Balkans.
Kosovo, considered to be a potential candidate for EU membership by the European Commission, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has so far has been recognized by more than half of the 193 UN member states.