Kosovo to Have Army by 2019

A photo dated 27 November 2013 shows members of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) during in an official ceremony of the KSF Day in Pristina, Kosovo. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The current Kosovo Security Forces will be transformed into an army within the next 5 years.

The Ministry of Security Forces of Kosovo will become a Ministry of Defence by 2019, Minister Agim Ceku said.

"The mission of the Kosovo Armed Forces will be to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo, its people and their property and protect the interests of the Kosovo Republic", Ceku was quoted by BalkanInsight.

The Kosovo Security Force was formed in 2009 and became fully operational in 2013. It has 2,500 lightly armed personnel and 800 reserve soldiers. The Armed Forces in 2019 should number 5,000, with 3,000 reserves.

Minister Ceku specified that the country's budget would have to be increased by EUR 20 M in order for the transformation to be successful. The move will first have to be approved in Parliament.

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