Kosovo President Hashim Thaci asked the parliament on Tuesday to transform Kosovo Security Force into Army of Kosovo.

Thaci handed over to the President of the Assembly, Kadri Veseli, the draft law foreseeing the controversial change, stongly opposed by Belgrade, which does not recognize Kosovo’s independence.

“Kosovo is finally creating its army”, Thaci said.

“Personally I feel very good with the name of the Kosovo Security Force and I think that this name is very appropriate for the army of Kosovo, because the citizens already have it in their hearts”, added President Thaçi.

Referring to the transformation process of the KSF, President Thaçi said that he would like that this transformation would happen just as we have attempted during the three years that passed, but such a thing was not achieved to be done because the parliamentarians representing the Serb community in Kosovo have made it clear dozens of times that they will never vote for the necessary constitutional amendments which enable the establishment of the Kosovo Armed Forces.

“This bitter reality is regrettable, even more so when it is known that this attitude against constitutional amendments has its origins in Serbia. Kosovo can not leave its fate at the mercy of anyone”, he said.

“This legal natural transformation is completely constitution and necessary for the Kosovo Security Force to officially start the membership process into NATO”, he stressed.

Thaci called on neighboring countries to see the process as “as a perfectly normal step of a sovereign and independent state”.

He clarified that the NATO mission, respectively of KFOR in Kosovo will continue to function as usual.

Kosovo Declared its independence in 2008 and established the Kosovo Security Forces in 2009, with aobut 4000 regular and 2,500 reserve forces. /tvklan.al