Prishtina, March 05, 2017 – The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, participated today at the military ceremony of the KSF in the barracks “Adem Jashari” in Prishtina, which was organized in honor of the three-day manifestation “Epopee of the KLA”.
President Thaçi said that this is the most heroic event of the resistance of our people for freedom for 19 years now.
“Like never before, on March 5, 1998 an unequal war in weaponry and people occured. The Jashari family was confronted with an endless Serb state military machinery and police forces. The veteran of education Shaban Jashari, the legendary Commander Adem Jashari, Commander Hamza Jashari, women, young girls and boys with unprecedented determination withstood the siege until sacrifice. This resistance has entered into the annals of our nation as one of the most major sacrifices”, said President Thaçi.
He stressed that the Kosovo Liberation Army after the days of the Epopee was tested in many battles, victorious offensives and situations in which it was proven that it could not be defeated in any circumstance.
“It was precisely this determination, which raised the Kosovo issue to the highest levels of world diplomacy. It was the all popular resistance of all classes of our society which once and for all had entered into the path of freedom”, declared President Thaçi.
Like no other event, President Thaçi said that the Epopee of Prekaz turned into a mobilizing force for all those patriots who for centuries had been waiting for the moment to be into the ranks of an authentic Albanian military organization.
Addressing the participants, President Thaçi said that today, in front of us, the members of the Kosovo Security Force are lined up.
“For me as Supreme Commander and above all for you honorable citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, these are the soldiers and officers of the Army of the Republic of Kosovo”, he stressed.
In accordance with the recommendations of the process of the Security Sector Review, then as Prime Minister, President Thaçi recalled that he had announced the establishment of the Kosovo Armed Forces.
As President, he said that he wants very much that the the process of transformation of the KSF into the Army of Kosovo would happen as attempted during these three years, through a transparent process followed with constitutional changes, but one such thing has not been achieved.
“Kosovo’s modern Constitution, gives me, as Supreme Commander of the Kosovo Security Forces, sufficient competencies to undertake the initiative to amend the Law on the KSF”, he said.
Addressing the soldiers of the KSF, President Thaçi made it clear that very soon, within his constitutional competencies, he shall undertake all the necessary legislative actions so that the long-awaited transformation of the establishment of the Kosovo Army to become reality also through the amendment of the Law on the KSF.
With the purpose of protecting the sovereignty and the territorial integrity, preserving peace and protecting the national interests, the President said that Republic of Kosovo must advance the role and tasks of the Kosovo Security Force.
“Like all the citizens of Kosovo expect, through the new Law on the Kosovo Security Force, the Kosovo Security Force will have as their mission to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo, the citizens and communities, the property and interests of the Republic of Kosovo, and contribute to the building and maintaining of the peace and regional and global stability”, stressed President Thaçi.
This change in the mission and the new tasks the KSF will assume, in accordance with the new Law, according to President Thaçi, make the KSF a modern and professional army, with protective character, which will be designed to protect the citizens of Kosovo and will be in the service to maintain peace in the region and in the world, whenever Kosovo is required to give its contribution in this regard.
“This legal natural transformation is completely constitution and necessary for the KSF to officially start the membership process into NATO. Therefore, I invite the member states of NATO to continue helping the KSF like they have done so far”, added President Thaçi.
The President stressed that the NATO mission, respectively of KFOR in Kosovo will continue to function as usual and this transformation will have no implication in the mission and tasks of KFOR in Kosovo.
Finally, President Thaçi invited the citizens of Kosovo to have faith in their country, and the whole political spectrum to unite in the issues of state interest and prove it with concrete actions.