At 00:01 AM yesterday based on the legal competencies and according to the Law for the Ministry of the Kosovo Security Force (MKSF) and the Law for the Security Force, the Minister of KSF Fehmi Mujota ordered the commander of KSF General-Lieutenant Sylejman Selimi to activate KSF, a lightly armed defense force for the newborn country.

 “The activation of the new force marks the new and changed circumstances in Kosovo and the birth of a new era,”- states on a press release issued yesterday from the Public Relations Office of KSF.

KSF is a professional force, politically neutral, multiethnic and lightly armed. KSF is being build according to NATO standards and is monitored from the civil and democratic institutions. This is in accordance with the continuous aspirations of Kosovo for the Euro-Atlantic integrations, reads the statement.

Members of KSF will be recruited from all the communities of Kosovo through a very formal procedure, regardless of gender, ethnic or religious background. KSF will have 2500 active members and 800 reserves.

This year from all over Kosovo, 315 citizens will be selected to join KSF. All men and women aged between 18 and 25 are eligible to apply for KSF while those aged between 18 and 30 can apply for officer ranks. The selection will be based on education, skills, health and physical conditions, in accordance with all KSF priorities. Others have already been vetted from the KPC members, including a large number of officers and five generals.

A job with KSF implies a challenging and professional career while helping others. KSF will vow to help all the citizens of Kosovo, says the press release issued by the PR Office of KSF.

Interest for joining the force have also shown the members of minorities. One member at the general level has been reserved for an ethnic Serb while other officer-level positions are open for other minorities. Serbs who were eager to join KSF told Kosovo’s public broadcaster RTK that they were coming under pressure from some in their community not to join.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has said his country feels threatened by the new force although Serbia, who has made four agressions in the last two decades, sports a military 16 times the size of KSF in number and as in possession of offensive weapons such as attack aircraft, heavy tanks and artillery.

KSF will carry light defensive weapons and uniforms similar to those of the US Army.

A special ceremony held  the day before KSF activation to mark the ending of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) mission. The commander of KPC, now the commander of KSF, General Sylejman Selimi, said that during the 9 years of its service KPC in spite of all difficulties achieved to become one of the most respected institutions in Kosovo.

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu rated highly the engagement of KPC members and said that this date is of great importance for Kosovo history.

Around 100 KPC veterans protested in front of the Kosovo Parliament today for not being included in the new force. UNDP is tasked with helping the transition to civilian life of KPC members who were not included in the KSF.

First message of support and cooperation for KSF came from Turkey. Turkey will continue to help in the formation and advancement of the KSF, said yesterday in Prishtina the head of the Planning Division of the Turkish Defense Minister, General-Major Erdal Ozturk, during a meeting he had with the Minister of KSF Fehmi Mujota.

Meanwhile Minister Mujota said that everything related to the KSF is developing as foreseen adding that within the set deadline the names of its leaders will be made public.

Only a few hours after the Kosovo Protection Corps mission officially ended, thus opening the gateway for the creation of the new Kosovo Security Force, the minister of this wing was visited by a Turkish military delegation.

Minister of KSF Mujota said that the number of friendly countries who are supporting KSF is growing. He said that he has received the pledge of Turkish officials that their country will be a strong ally to KSF in the future.

We have received the promise from the Turkish officials that soon we will sing a memorandum of understanding and that the role of Turkish officers in the future will influence the quality of KSF, said Mujota.

Due to a very tight agenda of meetings, the Turkish official could not pronounce for the media but Minister Mujota passed on his message and said that the state of Turkey is devoted to see KSF as an ally and a partner in NATO in the future.