Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister from the Serbian List, Branimir Stojanovic, said there are many other problems in relations between Albanians and Serbs which need to be addressed before considering establishment of Kosovo army. “Albanians and Serbs have learnt little from the past because if they had learnt more, things would now be different,” Stojanovic is quoted. “As a society we are polarized a great deal. If [KSF] transformation goes ahead, the quality of life will not change that much. The problem of Albanian-Serb relations is huge and quite old.

The U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie, spoke at the conference “Kosovo Security Force – Perspective of the Future” organized by RIDEA Institute.

He said that the U.S. supports Kosovo’s legitimate right to defend itself.

“As your friend, I am telling you that forming the Army through the change of the draft-law is not the best for the future in NATO,” Delawie said.

In a conference on the role of the Kosovo Security Force taking place in Pristina today, President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci said he has asked Assembly President Kadri Veseli in a letter sent today to “disregard” the draft law for KSF transformation and give more time for securing the support from strategic partners and all other stakeholders so that KSF is transformed through constitutional changes.  Thaci said his initiative to transform the KSF through a draft law was “legitimate” and came after all other possibilities were deemed exhausted.

The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said that establishment of Kosovo’s army is already a necessity. “I have undertaken the legal initiative for KSF being convinced that all the possibilities to create it through the Constitution were exhausted. This also came as a need being that Kosovo cannot be part of NATO without an army. The common denominator is that Kosovo institutions, parliamentary parties as well as the civil society and the citizens are for the army,” Thaci said at a debate organized by FOL Movement.

In an interview to RTK, German Ambassador Angelika Viets said that the debate over the ratification of border demarcation agreement with Montenegro has been overly polarized. “The border demarcation agreement, reached after three years of work, has been reviewed several times. Among others, this was also done by a group of international experts commissioned by then president Jahjaga which also included a renowned German expert, Dr. Wilmes.

Deputy President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Xhavit Haliti, said that ‘we as MPs called on the Serbian List to return.”

“This is the Parliament of Kosovo and they are its members, they should be defending the rights of the citizens who voted them,” Haliti said after the meeting of the Assembly presidency, where the leader of the Serbian List, Slavko Simic, was also present.

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said he is confident the government will submit to Assembly draft law on Kosovo Security Force transformation and reiterated that the creation of a Kosovo armed force is in the right track. Thaci said that the discussion with members of the Serb community, the civil society and the political spectrum will continue as will the process for KSF transformation. “This is an unstoppable and irreversible process,” he said.

The initiative of the Kosovo President Hashim Thaci for transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into a Kosovo army has raised concerns with Germany. “We are disappointed that the proposal was not discussed in advance with Kosovo partners in NATO and other relevant actors. We are concerned because the proposal endangers Kosovo’s cooperation with NATO and hinders normalisation dialogue,” the German Embassy said in a written response to Klan Kosova.

Kosovo Security Force (KSF) Minister, Haki Demolli, said President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci acted within the scope of his competencies when he initiated the transformation of the KSF but clarified that his ministry had prepared two years ago the proposal for constitutional amendments that would serve as legal basis for the creation of a Kosovo armed force.

Kosovo delegation led by Kosovo Assembly Deputy Presidents, Xhavit Haliti, and Slobodan Petrovic, are participating at the works of NATO Parliamentary Assembly, in Sarajevo.

During the three-day “Rose Roth” meeting, of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, they will analyze the political and security situation in the region and countries that are undergoing major security crisis, war against international terrorism, security in Europe, lowering of nationalist tensions among Balkans states and nations.