NATO, US warn Kosovo against move to form army

BRUSSELS / AP

NATO and the United States warned Wednesday they could scale back cooperation with Kosovo’s security services if the government goes ahead with plans to transform its lightly-armed security force into an army without the required constitutional changes.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he told Kosovo’s leaders by telephone “that unilateral steps such as these are unhelpful.” He warned that if Kosovo goes ahead as planned “NATO will have to review its level of commitment, particularly in terms of capacity-building.”
A U.S. embassy statement said “adoption of the current proposed law would force us to re-evaluate our bilateral cooperation with and longstanding assistance to Kosovo’s security forces.”
The move must be carried out through an “inclusive and representative political process,” the statement added. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Tuesday sent a draft law to parliament asking approval to form a regular army. The move was immediately denounced by Serbian leaders, who refuse to recognize Kosovo’s independence and said they will use all political means available to prevent the formation of an army.
Constitutional amendments would require the voting approval from the ethnic minorities at Kosovo’s parliament. Serbia in effect holds a key say through Kosovo Serbs on whether the required constitutional changes can happen.
Both the U.S. and NATO are key Kosovo allies and have been helping to build up Kosovo’s security force.
Relations between Kosovo and Serbia have been tense recently and the move is likely to make things worse. Kosovo declared independence in 2008. The move has been recognized by 114 countries but not Belgrade.