Long Awaited Day Has Come for Belgrade and Pristina

Today, the parliament of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo adopted a package of three laws – a law on the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), a law on service in the Kosovo Security Force, and a law establishing a Defence Ministry. This allows for the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into a Kosovo Army.

The meeting was attended by Prime Ramush Haradinaj and Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci.

The first bill adopted was one on the transformation of the KSF into the Ministry of Defence; the second one was a law on the KSF's transformation into the armed forces. At 11:20 am, the third and final bill was adopted, which officially formalised the procedure for forming Kosovo's armed forces.

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As reported by Radio Television of Serbia, all the bills were adopted unanimously in an accelerated procedure.

Both Belgrade and Pristina are marking today as a defining day.

At the same time, KFOR members are deployed at a bridge dividing Kosovska Mitrovica into north and south, while NATO helicopters are in Pristina.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will remain in the security zone created under the Kumanovo Agreement (there's a 25km air safety zone and 5km ground safety zone) for the next 72 hours.