United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) head Zahir Tanin said Thursday during a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that he shares Belgrade's concerns over the plans of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo to form a national army, according to Vucic's press service.
BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2018) United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) head Zahir Tanin said Thursday during a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that he shares Belgrade's concerns over the plans of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo to form a national army, according to Vucic's press service.Earlier in December, Kadri Veseli, the speaker of the Kosovar parliament, announced that the national army of Kosovo would be created on December 14.
"UNMIK head Tanin said he shared the concern about the situation in Kosovo. He pointed out that the UN secretary general's letter of April 2014 confirmed that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 on the settlement in Kosovo and Metohija is in force, and that changing the mandate of the KFOR [Kosovo Force] is impossible without the consent of the UN Security Council," the press service said in a statement.
In turn, Vucic said that Kosovo's plans violated international law, and that the contingent of the NATO-led KFOR had the mandate of the UN Security Council to imitate the disarmament of the future army of Pristina.
In October, the Kosovar parliament's internal affairs and security committee passed a number of bills related to transforming the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into a national army. The prime minister of the self-proclaimed republic, Ramush Haradinaj, said that the decision of the Kosovar parliament was a crucial step toward Pristina's accession to NATO.
The Kosovar army will reportedly consist of 5,000 active soldiers and 3,000 reservists, and will receive 300 million Euros ($340 million) in funding over three years to equip and train its forces.
