The European members of the United Nations Security Council (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom) called on authorities in Kosovo on Monday 17 December in New York to "make the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force over the next ten years a transparent and inclusive process, associating all communities and to avoid any negative impact on the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina" (see EUROPE 12160).
Without openly supporting the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into an army, the Europeans recalled that this was "Kosovo's sovereign right".
In their view, it is also necessary to maintain existing arrangements with KFOR for the deployment of the Kosovo Security Force in the north of the country. They also noted Kosovo's commitment to gradually transform its security force, in close coordination with NATO and its partners (see EUROPE 12153).
"Belgrade and Pristina still have to agree on many aspects of their future relationship within the framework of a comprehensive normalization agreement," the members of the Security Council recalled, adding that a binding agreement addressing all issues should remain the top priority. "We call on both sides to take steps to exercise restraint and to lower the tensions and create the conditions to resume as soon as possible their dialogue," the Europeans called on them. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)