The Kosovo Police has begun taking responsibility for security on the main bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica. At the same time, it is also being assigned new duties in the area surrounding Deçan Monastery.
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This process is part of the gradual change in KFOR’s permanent presence and the greater involvement of the Kosovo Police in security structures. The development is being considered important for strengthening local institutions.
Lawyer Gazmend Halilaj, speaking to “Bota sot,” discussed the political and institutional significance of this step, the message it sends to Belgrade, and its possible consequences for Kosovo’s domestic political debate.
Halilaj said that the transfer of responsibilities to Kosovo institutions does not represent a weakening of security or of the international role, but shows that the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo are increasing their capabilities and taking on more responsibilities.
He described KFOR’s decision to gradually move away from a permanent presence on the main bridge over the Ibar River as a development of particular importance, linked to the improvement of the security situation.
According to him, this step demonstrates that the institutions and security structures of the Republic of Kosovo are being consolidated and are becoming capable of guaranteeing order and security throughout the country’s territory.
Halilaj stressed that KFOR’s presence remains essential for the stability of Kosovo and the region. However, he added that in a democratic state, the aim should be for local institutions to function effectively and exercise their respective responsibilities.
For this reason, he said, the transition from a permanent KFOR presence to a more flexible role should be understood as a sign of greater stability and stronger local capabilities, rather than as a threat to security.
He also gave particular assessment to the gradual involvement of the Kosovo Police in KFOR’s security architecture at Deçan Monastery.
Gazmend Halilaj.
The lawyer said that this process demonstrates the growing role of and trust in the Kosovo Police, especially in areas where security issues have often been linked to political and ethnic tensions.
According to Halilaj, the integration of the Kosovo Police into this security structure shows that it is increasingly being viewed as a professional and important security institution of the Republic of Kosovo.
He assessed that this is particularly significant in areas where security has often been used as a tool to fuel political and ethnic tensions.
Halilaj said that these developments send Belgrade a clear message: responsibility for security in Kosovo belongs to the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo.
He emphasized that strengthening these institutions should not be interpreted as an action against any particular community, but as the consolidation of the country’s constitutional and institutional order.
He also said that political actors in Kosovo who oppose or downplay the strengthening of state institutions should view this development as evidence that building functional and professional structures serves the interests of all citizens, regardless of ethnic or political affiliation.
Speaking about the political dimension, the lawyer said that the Government of Kosovo may regard the assumption of these responsibilities as a political achievement, since strengthening security institutions and increasing confidence in local capabilities are positive developments for the state.
However, he stressed that an institutional process of this nature should not be attributed solely to one government or one political party.
According to him, the security of the Republic of Kosovo is a state interest, while progress in this area should be considered the result of Kosovo’s institutions as a whole.
Halilaj also called on the opposition to address this issue with a sense of state responsibility. He said criticism of the Government may continue on various issues, but it should not turn into opposition to processes that strengthen the Kosovo Police, improve security, and increase the responsibility of the institutions of the Republic.
He added that the interests of the state must stand above party interests, since governments change and political parties come and go, while state institutions remain.
“Bota sot” concluded its conversation with Gazmend Halilaj, who described this as a case in which the state interest should stand above the party interest.
