The Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, clarified that the letter sent by the Government to KFOR, which included a pledge that the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) would not deploy in the northern part of Kosovo without prior authorization from NATO’s mission, was intended as a clarification rather than a reaffirmation. According to Maqedonci, the purpose of the letter was to clear up any misunderstandings regarding the engagement of KSF units in the northern municipalities and to ensure that this move was not intended to escalate tensions.
In response to KOHA, Maqedonci emphasized that the pledge in the letter was aimed at reassuring KFOR’s commander that both sides would cooperate to ensure that military actions are carried out in a coordinated manner.
“The purpose of the letter was to clarify to the KFOR Commander that the engagement of a KSF unit in one of the northern municipalities, which took place just days before the letter was sent, was not meant to escalate the situation. In the letter, I explained the circumstances of the KSF unit’s engagement and, as I have repeatedly said publicly in the media, I reaffirmed that Kosovo’s institutions will continue to respect the commitment made on April 19, 2013, regarding the engagement of KSF in the north after prior coordination with KFOR’s Commander,” Maqedonci said.
The Minister emphasized that the letter was not a reaffirmation of the 2013 commitment but merely a clarification that Kosovo continues to honor the pledge made at that time.
“Therefore, it is not a reaffirmation because the 2013 commitment was made at the level of the Prime Minister and the NATO Secretary General. We are continuing to honor the 2013 pledge made by the former Prime Minister, even though we consider that pledge to have been wrong and harmful to our army,” Maqedonci concluded.
