Slovakia is explicitly opposed to the transformation of the Kosovo Security Forces into an armed force, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini has said.

At a press conference after his meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic in Bratislava on Tuesday, Pellegrini "stressed that his country continues to strongly support the territorial integrity of Serbia, and is not changing its stance on the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo," Tanjug is reporting. Slovakia is one of five EU member-states who do not recognize Kosovo.

Asked by journalists about the possibility of Pristina's threats being realized, and the so-called army being formed, he replied: "The situation is very complex. Slovakia is a member of NATO and I think that the position of the alliance on this issue is also negative. Therefore, I think that the stance of the alliance will be equally strong, and that is also the stance of the international community and of the EU. Slovakia will use its instruments in the OSCE for resolving this issue."

The Slovak prime minister also said Pristina must receive a clear signal that, if it makes steps against international law and if it violates peace and stability in the region, it cannot count on being a respected partner in Europe.

According to him, it is necessary to call on Pristina to step back from these unilateral and above all unconstitutional moves.

"No one would want Serbia to be forced to defend its own endangered population in Kosovo with its army. I am sorry that Pristina currently doesn't seem to have an interest in a peaceful solution, and that, in terms of politics, we see a tendency of tension and further escalation," Pellegrini concluded.

See at: https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2018&mm=12&dd=11&nav_id=105730