Military of Kosovo

Norway's Foreign Minister Borge Brende on Thursday reacted to Pristina's plans to turn the Kosovo Security Force into an army.

"I urge Kosovo authorities to refrain from transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an armed force without a constitutional change and an inclusive political process," Brende said in a statement.

The transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an army - an initiative launched by Hashim Thaci - "does not have international support."

Albanian language daily Koha Ditore is reporting this a day after Thaci, who serves as Kosovo president, and Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli presented a draft bill on transforming the KSF into "the Armed Forces of Kosovo."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he has "serious concerns" regarding the proposal to form an army in Kosovo.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he had spoken by phone on Wednesday with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and Prime Minister Isa Mustafa to convey the "serious concerns of NATO allies" about recent proposals by the Kosovo authorities to transform the Kosovo Security Force, KSF, into an army without prior constitutional changes and consent across all communities.

The transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an army - an initiative launched by Hashim Thaci - "does not have international support."

Albanian language daily Koha Ditore is reporting this a day after Thaci, who serves as Kosovo president, and Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli presented a draft bill on transforming the KSF into "the Armed Forces of Kosovo."

Kosovo's President is planning to establish a regular army for the country by amending the current Law on the Kosovo Security Force, KSF, extending its powers and responsibilities.

A change to the competencies of the existing KSF would circumvent the need to win Kosovo Serb MPs' approval for the formation of a regular army.

The defense ministers of Albania and Croatia seek NATO to support the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into Kosovo Armed Forces, Telegraf reports.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has described the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) as "Kosovo’s future army."

According to his website, he also spoke about "the involvement of the members of all communities, with an advanced gender composition," to conclude this was "the best indicator of the character of the state and of our society."

NATO is not the one to decide on the structure, mandate and mission of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), an unnamed NATO source has been quoted by a daily.

"The future of the KSF is an internal matter of the local Kosovo institutions," the Belgrade-based newspaper Danas said it learned "unofficially" from the western military alliance.

BELGRADE - Deputy director of the Regional Police in northern Kosovo Besim Hoti told Tanjug Saturday that the police was searching for a young men of Albanian nationality reported missing in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.