Morina: Kosovo Gendarmerie has no militaristic goals, will reduce the role of EULEX

Former Kosovo Police colonel Refki Morina assessed that the formation of the gendarmerie represents an important security step forward and a professional mechanism that will not have militaristic goals, but will contribute to reducing the role of international missions, primarily EULEX.

“The formation of the Kosovo Gendarmerie should be viewed as a development of particular importance in the field of security and as a welcome professional mechanism with a larger number of security force members who will be responsible for the country’s borders,” Morina said.

He told Kosova Press that the gendarmerie, as a new security mechanism, should combat terrorism, smuggling, and other negative phenomena, as well as contribute to the “protection of Kosovo’s borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.”

He added that the gendarmerie would cooperate with the police and the Kosovo Security Force, but would not interfere in their jurisdictions.

“It will protect the border in the north, toward Serbia, as well as borders throughout Kosovo. There are often dilemmas among the population because, on the one hand, the formation of the gendarmerie is seen as positive, while on the other hand there is skepticism and fear that it could take over security responsibilities and become a militarized formation, but that is not true because its goal is border protection and the fight against smuggling and organized crime, without interfering in the jurisdictions of the police and the army,” Morina said.

Speaking about the organizational model, he emphasized that the gendarmerie should be based on the experiences of the French, Italian, and other gendarmeries, along with the professional development of domestic security structures.

He assessed that, in that case, the role of international missions, in this case EULEX, would gradually decrease.

“I believe that the gendarmerie mechanism being formed here should adopt elements of the French, Italian, and other gendarmeries. Through the professional development of the gendarmerie, police, and army, the role of international mechanisms will gradually decrease, because domestic forces will take over border security. In that way, international troops will gradually be reduced, in order to stabilize the security situation and peace in the Balkans and in Kosovo,” the former Kosovo Police colonel said.