NATO warns that the deployment of the KSF to the north is not possible without the permission of KFOR

The Kosovo Government adopted a new Defense Strategy in which it stated that it would create a single chain of command for the KSF in the entire territory of Kosovo, including the north, but Koha was told in NATO that for the deployment of the KSF to the north, the consent of KFOR commander was still necessary.

Through the Strategy, the Government expressed its intention to expand the KSF to the entire territory of Kosovo, but this was not preceded by a request to amend the current agreement with NATO, according to which the Kosovo Security Forces could come to the north only with special permission from KFOR.

"KSF operates on the entire territory of Kosovo through a single military chain of command and consists of the General Staff, commands and subordinate units of the General Staff of the KSF," the Strategy states.

The Ministry of Defense did not provide any clarifications on how to deal with the current ban on part of the territory, but NATO confirmed in a written response to Koha that nothing had changed in relation to the ban on KSF.

"There has been no change in the position of the mission force led by NATO, KFOR, which currently has around 3,700 soldiers on the ground. The deployment of KSF in the north of Kosovo requires the prior consent of KFOR. KFOR has not received any request in this regard lately," NATO's response reads.

Security experts say Kosovo authorities should discuss these issues with NATO before including them in government documents.

"The treatment of this issue remains more for political needs than this item can really be fulfilled. I want to believe that these issues should be discussed in the future with NATO and that we achieve the goal of the KSF carrying out its activities on the entire territory of Kosovo. That agreement must be unblocked and we must have a new agreement," Bedri Elezi said.