Kosovo’s army
Hoyt Yee, the Deputy Assistant Secretary who covers the Balkans at the State Department, testified Wednesday at the Congressional Helsinki Commission. In answer to a question, he said the United States strongly supports Kosovo’s goal of joining NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and eventually NATO, a precondition for which is having an army. Washington will also continue to provide assistance to Kosovo to reach the goal of NATO membership. This in my book is exactly the right thing to be saying and doing.
It comes on the heels of Kosovo government approval of transforming its Kosovo Protection Force, a largely unarmed but uniformed corps, into the Kosovo Armed Forces, which will function as an army. Belgrade has asked for a discussion of this issue at the United Nations Security Council. My guess is the powers that be in New York will decide the UNSC has more important things to do right now.
This is, however, an important moment in Kosovo, where a NATO-led force (KFOR) has tried to provide a “safe and secure environment” since 1999 and (by mutual agreement between Belgrade and Pristina) will continue to do so in the northern four, Serb-majority municipalities. Kosovo, independent since 2008, is gradually acquiring all the attributes of sovereignty, in accordance with the UN-sponsored Ahtisaari plan that laid out a roadmap and guidelines for the process. Armed forces are one of those attributes. They will be designed on the basis of a recently prepared security sector review, which looked at threats and required capabilities to respond to them.
There is a deep irony in Belgrade’s concern about the creation of an army in Kosovo. Serbia’s refusal to recognize Kosovo’s independence and its continuing claim to sovereignty over its former province is the primary threat to the republic’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Kosovo will have to size its military to meet that threat, at least for the week or so it would take NATO forces to come to the rescue. Belgrade could undercut the argument for a 5000-person army (and 3000-person reserve) in Kosovo if it would do what the European Union will require of it before membership: establish good neighborly relations by recognizing Kosovo and exchanging ambassadors with it. Some Kosovars might even welcome the cost savings that would come from reducing the size of the force to meet a reduced threat. Belgrade might also then save some money.
The issue of Kosovo’s army is one Belgrade and Pristina should discuss, along with the size and capabilities of Serbia’s army, but not at the United Nations or even in the EU-sponsored talks ongoing in Brussels. It is high time that they meet to discuss such matters–of direct concern only to the two capitals and not really to the EU or the US–bilaterally. I’d suggest they start with their army chiefs of staff or their defense ministers. Neighbors, especially those once at war, need to understand each others’ security concerns and capabilities. That is very much a part of good neighborly relations.
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as long as this “Army”STAYS South of the Ibar im sure things will be fine.
“Belgrade has asked for a discussion of this issue at the United Nations Security Council. My guess is the powers that be in New York will decide the UNSC has more important things to do right now”.
Absolutely so! But remember that an election campaign is underway in Serbia, and is heating up as election day is approaching, which very much explains Belgrade’s rhetorical complaints over the issue of Kosovo’s armed forces.
Exactly. Much of the rhetoric about the iniquities of the current government in Prishtina coming out of Kosovo should probably be discounted for the same reason. They’ll also be holding elections.
As irksome as the citizens of Kosovo sometimes find this ongoing tutelage by outside powers, they may come to value what it did for the country in the future. In fact, while the process has hardly been perfect, perhaps it should provide a starting point in considering the application for UN membership by any newly established country. Where does the applicant stand on the tests that Kosovo has had to pass? South Sudan was granted UN membership simply because none of the Permanent Members of the SC had any objection, based on their own country’s priorities, and Kosovo’s diplomats set about winning the new country’s recognition of Kosovo’s own independence. But Kosovo is steadily progressing toward becoming a functioning society with a government meeting international norms; South Sudan can only dream of matching Kosovo’s present conditions.