Vujinovic: I expect a fairer approach toward the Serbian community from the new KFOR commander

Security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic believes that outgoing KFOR Commander Ozkan Ulutas will be remembered for his position that Kosovo is so safe that KFOR no longer needs to protect the Visoki Decani Monastery or the bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica, and that the security of all communities is at a very high level.

Vujinovic told Kosovo Online that Ulutas acted more like a Turkish general than a KFOR commander.

“As a result, he pursued the same policy that Turkey follows in Kosovo: strengthening the Kosovo Security Force, training it and maintaining very close ties with Kosovo's security sector. He should not have such relations with them because he holds that position on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and instead of tolerating the existence of the Kosovo Security Force, he should be preventing it. However, we can see that he not only tolerates it but actively helps it,” Vujinovic said.

Regarding the new KFOR commander, Roberto Vergori, our interlocutor said that the Italian general would take a somewhat fairer approach toward the Serbian community.

“Look, on the surface and formally speaking, there are no imbalances. They do their job and have certain indicators that are, of course, met, because these are indicators used to assess whether something has been done well or not. As a result, everything ultimately appears to be in order. Both the Italian and Turkish generals represent countries that have recognized Kosovo. When it comes to their presence in Kosovo and Metohija, their primary objective is to protect Kosovo's statehood from Serbia. We know this, even though it is not written in the documents. Their secondary role is to help build those institutions, in this case the security sector. The Italian general will therefore find the situation as expected. The security situation will be presented as good, proposals will be made to reduce the number of KFOR troops, and certain minor problems will be easily resolved in cooperation with the Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Security Force. And that is it,” Vujinovic said, adding:

“As far as I have been able to follow, the Italian general is a paratrooper who has also served at the Visoki Decani Monastery, where, as I understand it, he was responsible for security. That is why I believe he will be more attentive to the concerns of the Serbian community, just as Italian soldiers and Italian KFOR units have always shown understanding for the Serbian community. This would prevent what Mr. Ulutas allowed to happen, namely the so-called Kosovo acting as if northern Kosovo were an integral part of its territory. Formally speaking, that area is part of Kosovo's territory, but the majority Serbian community must be treated with much greater care and tolerance. Ulutas did not pay sufficient attention to this. Instead, he allowed both the police and the Kosovo Security Force to behave as they did, continually accepting their excuses that they had taken a wrong turn.”

Speaking about the expectations of Serbs in Kosovo from the new KFOR commander, Vujinovic said that the Italian Carabinieri had not been deployed on the bridge in Mitrovica by chance.

“We also know that their presence in Metohija, near our monasteries, is no coincidence. There is a longstanding friendship between our peoples and an understanding demonstrated by these forces, above all through their willingness to listen to the concerns of the Serbian community. Mr. Ulutas listened to those concerns, but he did not really hear them.

“I think we will now have a much better opportunity to explain the problems we face. Nevertheless, the situation on the ground will show,” he added.

Vujinovic believes that these are encouraging words and hopes, but that practice will show how accurate they really are.

“I genuinely hope that the Italian general will introduce certain changes, primarily by restoring formal compliance with the rules. In other words, the Kosovo Security Force should genuinely have to consult KFOR on how to act. I would like KFOR to prohibit its activities or disband it in some way, but for the reasons mentioned, that will not happen. That is why I think there is room for hope. Will that hope be fulfilled? I am an optimist by nature, and I believe it will,” Vujinovic concluded.