Vucic: KFOR and NATO cannot support formation of Kosovo army

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It's not a problem for KFOR and NATO to expand their mandate and increase the number of their members, that's in accordance with (UN Security Council) Resolution 1244, but they cannot support the creation of a so-called Kosovo army because it is not in accordance with the said resolution, stated Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

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Responding to a journalist's request to comment on a statement made by the US ambassador in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier, that the US "supports the ten-year transformation of the Kosovo Security Forces (KSF) into an army," Vucic said that he had not seen the statement in its entirety, but only briefly what the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, had shown him as the headline, and that it would not be serious of him to comment on that, reports Tanjug.

"Only, you have to keep in mind one important thing, when NATO and KFOR refer to the norms of the Kumanovo Agreement and the norms of Resolution 1244 because the entire mandate of KFOR is based on that resolution they rightly refer to it, and we in line with that, support the actions of KFOR and NATO and we expect them to expand their mandate and increase the number of their members, and we have no problem with that. What is a problem is when, in addition to that mandate, you say we will now support the creation of a Kosovo army or whatever you call it, because you don't have the right to do that, according to Resolution 1244," the president said during a press conference after a meeting with senior officials in Brussels.

Vucic added that when he asks them that question, he gets the answer that they recognized Kosovo as an independent state and that according to them they have the right to support the creation of an army.

"Then our answer is, and I said it a few days ago to the 'five' (representatives of five Western countries) in Belgrade - it's not a problem, but then don't refer to international law. Then tell us, too bad for international law, we don't care too much, we are very strong and powerful, we can do whatever we want, all those facts are on our side, but not the facts that arise from any public-legal norms, since none of that is in accordance with the norms of international law," said the president.

(Telegraf.rs)