The U.S. Embassy in Pristina distributed a press release which says that the U.S. supports gradual and transparent transformation of the KSF into a mulietnic force in accordance with NATO standards.

Kosovo Assembly presidency has unanimously decided to submit the draft law on Kosovo Security Force (KSF) transformation to the Government. Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli said he expects the government to forward the bill to the Assembly as quickly as possible. “Every step we undertook in the last 18 years has been in partnership with international community,” Veseli said after the meeting of the Assembly presidency. He called on the Serbian List to return to Kosovo institutions “where they belong.” “We have tried to reach political consensus for three years.

Head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group, Ismet Beqiri, said the party would support the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an army but noted that this should be done with the support of strategic partners. Beqiri said the LDK would support the bill if it is put to vote at the Assembly but that the goal of creating an army that would protect Kosovo’s sovereignty would be difficult to achieve without the international support.

President of the Kosovo Assembly, Kadri Veseli, told Kosovo Security Force (KSF) cadets at the “Adem Jashari” barracks today that he called for a meeting to discuss Kosovo entering an important process of KSF transformation into an army. “You have created the possibility of Kosovo facing a historic decision,” Veseli told the cadets. He said a Kosovo army would serve all citizens and work on good relations with all neighbours.

Speaking about the initiative of President Hashim Thaci to set up a Kosovo army through amending the current law on the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP, Anton Quni, said his party would prefer the transformation to be done though constitutional changes. “We prefer the KSF transformation not to be disputed by any NATO skeptic,” Quni said adding that LDK would want the Kosovo army to have the support of strategic partners and be able to take part in NATO peacekeeping operations.

After the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), the Initiative for Kosovo, (NISMA) also confirmed that they would vote the law for the change of the mandate and increase of competencies of the Kosovo Security Force.

In a meeting with Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli today, President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci officially presented the draft law for transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an armed force.