Kosovo Security Force

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 asked parliament to transform the country's lightly armed security forces into a regular army, a move that quickly drew objections from Serbian leaders who refuse to recognize Kosovo's independence.

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.

A defence lawyer for one of the so-called Drenica Group ex-guerrillas, who were sentenced to a total of 65 years in jail for war crimes, said on Tuesday that they will appeal against the convictions, which he called a "legal massacre".

BELGRADE - Two Serbs were placed in police custody in connection with a recent disappearance of a 17-year-old Albanian in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, local radio Kontakt Plus has reported.

The radio station said Sunday that the two persons were remanded in custody for up to 48 hours based on a decision by the prosecutor in the case.

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.

Kosovo focuses on NATO membership

Senior officials from the Kosovo Security Force visited NATO headquarters to discuss the force's transformation into an army.

Kosovo Security Force Minister Haki Demolli (left) and Force Commander Lieutenant General Kadri Kastrati attended the March 2nd meeting in Brussels. [KSF]