Mustafa asks for NATO support for set-up of Kosovo military

PRISTINA - Kosovo's Prime Minister Isa Mustafa asked on Wednesday NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for the military alliance's support in transforming Kosovo's Security Force into armed forces.

During his visit to Brussels, where on Monday he led Pristina's delegation to the dialogue with Belgrade, he toured the NATO headquarters at the invitation of Stoltenberg, the Kosovo prime minister's office stated in a release.

Mustafa also requested NATO's further support, including the transformation of Kosovo's Security Force into Kosovo's armed forces, and further advancement of Kosovo's partnership with NATO, notes the release.

Stoltenberg commended the latest agreement reached within the framework of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the release reads.

Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence which was proclaimed by ethnic Albanians with the backing from leading Western countries in February 2008. The province has been under the UN administration since June 1999, following the armed conflict and NATO bombing. Belgrade's authorities are strongly against the transformation of Kosovo's Security Force into armed forces.

Photo Tanjug/S. Radovanovic (illustration, archive)