Kosovo Security Force (KSF) Commander Rrahman Rama told a parliamentary commission today that preparations are underway for the establishment of Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF) and that they are only waiting for the political decision to begin the transformation process. Rama said that 28 new cadets were admitted to the KSF last year and that there have been numerous training opportunities for the KSF officers in different countries.

The news site carries a press release issued by the Pristina-based Kosovo Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) highlighting “the political failure to transform the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into the Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF)”. The KCSS calls on the Kosovo Government and Assembly to urgently adopt the constitutional amendments required for the transformation of the KSF into the Armed Forces. The Centre recalls that a recent poll showed that over 87% of Kosovo citizens are in favour of the transformation.

In an interview for Klan Kosova, former commander of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) Kadri Kastrati said that the KSF is ready to transform into an armed force but added that it has a weak internal intelligence sector. He said that even if the KSF transformed into Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF), KFOR would still have to maintain its presence in Kosovo. “To be part of NATO, we have to be an army with all parameters. At present, the KSF has no capacity to fight terrorism,” said Kastrati.

It is not up to NATO to decide on the structure, mandate and mission of the Kosovo Security Force. Future of the KSF is an internal matter of local Kosovo institutions. NATO currently supports the development of the KSF in the framework of their original mission and mandate, through the NATO Liaison and Advisory Team.

Serbian list does not support the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into the army and the attitude of the List remains unchanged.

All discussions about the KSF, that members of the Srpska had with representatives of the Kosovo government, took place in the context of the regular weekly meetings and so members of the government have insisted, on their own initiative, to inform the Srpska representatives about the process - said the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Branimir Stojanovic.

According to a survey conducted by the Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED), the Kosovo Police and Kosovo Security Force (KSF) are the most reliable institutions by the Kosovo citizens. While with lower reliability were listed the President’s Office, Prime Minister and Interior Ministry. KIPRED also presented facts on terrorism threats and armed incident in Kumanovo. KIPRED Executive Director, Lulzim Peci, said that Kosovo has no legal act which determines the level of security threats and risks.

Kosovo Security Force (KSF) Minister Haki Demolli said the government will review amendments for transformation of the KSF into Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF) in the next meeting and submit them for further approval. Demolli also addressed reports that a battalion consisting of members of the Serb community would be set up within the KSF. “No one until now has requested such a thing from me. KSF currently reflects ethnic diversity and is an integrated force. I want to assure you that I would not agree to such a proposal, whoever it may come from,” said Demolli.

“Kosovo has committed itself that Kosovo Security Force troops would not embark in the north of Kosovo without a preliminary permission from NATO,” this is NATO’s official response to Radio Kosova.

This office also rejected the claims of Serbian officials for existence of an agreement between NATO and Serbia which does not allow embarking of KSF as well as the future Armed Forces troops in the northern municipalities.

Xhavit Haliti, senior official of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Deputy Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, told TV Dukagjini that statements of Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa and the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) Commander, in regards to Kosovo Armed Forces’ (KAF) presence in the north, were immature. Haliti said, "We heard two statements which for me have been immature, the Prime Minister saying that KAF would not operate in the north, and the KSF Commander saying that the KSF doesn’t need anyone's permission to operate in north or south.

The paper writes that two years since first being reported by the Serbian government that Kosovo authorities had agreed in Brussels dialogue to the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) not going to the north of Kosovo without NATO’s consent, this was just now admitted by the Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa. According to the Constitution of Kosovo, the Kosovo Security Force are authorized to serve within the territory of Kosovo so agreement to not allow the KSF to go to the north is a constitutional violation, writes the paper.