Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti held a high-stakes virtual conference with a powerful bipartisan coalition of U.S. lawmakers on Thursday evening, detailing Prishtina’s structural move to establish a national Gendarmerie.
Addressing Congressmen Keith Self (R-TX), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), and George Latimer (D-NY), Kurti sought to calm international concerns regarding the militarization of Kosovo’s domestic security.
He firmly declared that the newly conceived Gendarmerie is not designed to replace or sideline the NATO-led KFOR mission, but will serve as an agile, auxiliary domestic partner to combat asymmetric threats.
Decoupling the Gendarmerie from KFOR
The virtual briefing follows a legislative milestone earlier this week, during which the Kosovo government initiated the foundational framework to create a state Gendarmerie—a militarized police force tasked with bridging the operational gap between local law enforcement and the military (FSK).
[THE KOSOVO GENDARMERIE MANDATE]
• Legal Origin: Initiated via cabinet-level legislative framework this week.
• Tactical Slot: Hybrid law enforcement / Internal militarized security force.
• Non-Objective: Will NOT replace, limit, or diminish NATO's KFOR mission.
• Main Pillars: 1. High-level counter-terrorism.
2. Eradication of cross-border smuggling networks.
3. Hardened defense of critical national infrastructure.
Aware of the delicate geopolitical balancing act in northern Kosovo, Kurti used his time with the lawmakers to clearly define the boundaries of the new force.
“The Gendarmerie is intended to help fulfill our national security objectives, such as combating smuggling and terrorism, as well as protecting critical infrastructure,” Kurti noted during the call. “It is not envisioned as a replacement for KFOR, but as a close operational collaborator with it.”
Capitalizing on House Resolutions 1246 & 1250
The core objective of the meeting was to consolidate lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. Weeks prior, this specific group of congressmen introduced two critical pieces of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives designed to permanently lock in American military commitment to Kosovo:
[THE CAPITOL HILL REZOLUTION VECTOR]
│
┌─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
HOUSE RESOLUTION 1246 HOUSE RESOLUTION 1250
• Full backing for Kosovo's entry into NATO. • Demands permanent US troop presence.
• Demands 4 non-recognizers lift veto. • Mandates unending funding for KFOR.
Kurti extended deep gratitude for Resolution 1246, which aggressively targets the four NATO member states that still refuse to recognize Kosovo’s statehood (Spain, Greece, Romania, and Slovakia), urging them to drop their vetoes and open the door for Prishtina’s accession.
He likewise praised Resolution 1250, which mandates an uninterrupted, long-term deployment of U.S. troops within the KFOR framework.
The Permanent Camp Bondsteel Vision
With regional tensions high, Kurti reiterated that securing a permanent Western military footprint remains his administration’s absolute defense priority. He urged the congressmen to use their legislative leverage to convert Camp Bondsteel—the sprawling U.S. military base in eastern Kosovo—into a permanent, sovereign installation of the United States Armed Forces.
[THE DEFENSE INTERSECTION]
• US-Kosovo Defense Framework: Currently in final drafting stages.
• Pentagon Partnership: Moving to formalize strategic asset sharing.
• Strategic Target: Transitioning Camp Bondsteel to a permanent US base.
To conclude the session, the acting Prime Minister revealed that a comprehensive Defense Cooperation Framework Agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense is currently undergoing final revisions. The impending treaty is set to formalize joint intelligence sharing, defense procurement, and tactical integration, solidifying the Washington-Prishtina security axis for the foreseeable future.
