“General security situation in Kosovo is quiet and it could only be jeopardized by sporadic tensions in the north. Other security related problems mainly refer to threats coming from Wahhabi groups and those returning from the Syrian battlefields,” said executive director of the Kosovo Center for Security Studies in Pristina Florian Qehaja to Belgrade-based daily Danas.
Reflecting on the possibility for opening of the special court for war crimes committed in Kosovo, Qehaja said that it is in the interest of Kosovo for disputable cases to be addressed.
Is the creation of armed forces of Kosovo, which is opposed by Belgrade, possible?
“There is impression that the idea on creation of armed forces of Kosovo derives from the revision of the National Security Strategy of Kosovo. That process has foundation in the legal rights deriving from the Ahtisaari’s plan, which stipulates revision of the security sector after five years. It is planned for armed forces to be military force in defensive capacities. For example, it is not expected for them to have big caliber projectiles of the long range which could reach targets out of Kosovo territory. Thus, it wouldn’t pose any threat for states in the region as long as they are subjected to strict civil and democratic control. Armed forces will assume duties in 2018, whereas they will become fully operational in 2022. They will take over tasks from KFOR, which will reduce its presence after 2018, whereas its complete withdrawal is expected around 2020.
President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman stated that creation of armed forces of Kosovo presents re-arming of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Do you agree with such stance?
“I think that Czech president’s comments were quite undiplomatic. There is no logic in making parallels between the KLA and future armed forces of Kosovo. There is huge shift in the mentality and organization in the security sector, which has nothing to do with the war of KLA. Fifteen years have passed from the war and both, Kosovo and the region, have dramatically changed, at least when we talk about security.
Could creation of the special war crimes court jeopardize the reputation of Pristina?
“In my opinion, problems with the court mainly have to do with its format. The very fact that there will be a tribunal, which will be out of Kosovo, while there wasn’t any similar court abroad for Serbia, B&H or Croatia, contributes to stronger resistance. It could sound a bit cynical if I say that international community has proposed it because some of the former judges from Hague have remained unemployed and that they are seeking opportunity for the court to be in the Hague and not in Pristina. Of course, considering that local judges would deal with those cases reluctantly, the court will be mainly composed by international judges. It is in the interest of Kosovo that existing cases are addressed, including war and post-war crimes, in order that we could start coping with the current problems, that is corruption and organized crime. If such cases would remain unresolved, it would be failure for both, international and local actors.
