The SOFA agreement is important and special, as it regulates the status of the Kosovo Security Forces, allows them entry and exit, temporary stay and transit through the territory of Macedonia. This will be beneficial for both countries, because, as we have seen this year, in addition to being a partner and an important military ally, the Kosovo Security Forces can also assist citizens in rescue operations.

This is part of the statement of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, as reported by the news agency in Albanian language INA.

The SOFA agreement was signed after the joint session of the governments of Macedonia and Kosovo, held in Skopje, within a total of 11 agreements for cooperation between Macedonia and Kosovo in various fields, starting from economy, security, cross-border cooperation, including the SOFA agreement.

The Kosovo Security Force,s or as it is called there, the “Kosovo Army”, was established on January 1, 2009 after the dissolution of the Kosovo Protection Corps. Kosovo’s security forces are in the preparatory phase of transforming into a real army.

The security forces currently have 5,000 active troops and 3,000 reservists. Occasionally they receive certain military weapons from the United States and other NATO member states.

The commander of this Kosovo military formation is Lieutenant General Rahman Rama.