Izvor: N1 televizija, 22.Okt.2018, 12:44 (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)
Ex Kosovo commander: BSK needs seven years to become army
A former commander of Kosovo Security Forces (BSK) said on Monday it would take between seven and ten years for the Force to become an army, the Beta news agency reported.
In an interview with the Radio Free Europe (RFE), Kadri Kastrati said Kosovo’s army would not possess heavy weapons but would be able to carry out tasks envisaged by the laws.
He said the draft laws concerning the transformation >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu N1 televizija << of the BSK into Kosovo Armed Forces (OSK) defined its mission as that of an army.
Kosovo opted for changes in the laws regulating the area instead, because of the opposition by the Serb List, a local Serb's political organisation supported by Belgrade.
Kastrati said that NATO realised that the time was passing by and silently confirmed that Kosovo was an independent and sovereign state that should progress, adding that the formation of the army was an internal matter.
He added that NATO would discuss the mandate of its peacekeeping KFOR, but that there would not be a conflict in jurisdiction between them and the future Kosovo army since KFOR had been helping the BSK in its operational capacities.
According to the BSK former commander, Kosovo’s army would have defensive weaponry with the 150 mm calibre cannons as the largest and all other arms under that calibre.
The other armoury would include 120-millimetres mortars, air defence weapons and helicopters.
The three laws passed in principle by Kosovo’s parliament stipulate that the future army would have 8,000 members, 5,000 of whom would be active, while the remaining 3,000 would be in reserve.
Kastrati said that Kosovo army’s tasks would be to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity, give support to central and local authorities, secure the life and property of Kosovo’s citizens and take part in NATO peace missions abroad.
