The Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo has passed a law ratifying a defense agreement with the United Kingdom, allowing for the secondment of Kosovo Security Force (KSF) personnel to the British Roulement Infantry Company (RIC) illegally deployed in the Malvina Islands.
The decision by the country, controlled primarily by Great Britain, is not new. In January 2023, the German press denounced the presence of Kosovar troops on the southern islands, raising "new fears about NATO's growing influence in Latin America" and causing strong unease among the authorities of the Republic of Serbia, who reject the interference of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states in favor of the separatist state of Kosovo, recognized only by 83 of the 193 countries that make up the United Nations.
The close relationship between the two countries dates back to 1999. At the time, the United Kingdom worked within the Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led mission for military training and stability. But a similar situation arose in September 2022, when the two countries signed a troop deployment agreement, similar to other agreements in force between Kosovo and the United States.
The decision was discussed at an extraordinary session, where Prime Minister Albin Kurti confirmed that seven KSF personnel could be deployed on this mission in the Roulement infantry company in the Malvina Islands , supporting the host state as a peacekeeping force. “The mission will be conducted in the Malvina Islands, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. No more than seven KSF personnel may be deployed for this mission. This mission may last up to three years, with the possibility of extension by agreement of the parties,” Kurti stated that year.
The agreement was unanimously approved by the country's Legislative Assembly , with 85 votes in favor and no votes against/abstentions. In the words of Defense Minister Armend Mehaj , the agreement "will pave the way for the secondment of KSF personnel to the British Infantry Company in the Malvina Islands."
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