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Serbia will not accept new Kosovo force: president
Belgrade (AFP) Jan 19, 2009 Serbia rejects a new, multi-ethnic force for Kosovo, due to be launched Wednesday, and will push for it to be "disbanded," Serbian President Boris Tadic said in an interview Monday. "Serbia does not accept the formation of Kosovo security forces and we will never accept such a solution," Tadic said in an interview to private TV station B92. Tadic said that Belgrade, which has fiercely opposed Kosovo's independence, unilaterally proclaimed last February, "will insist in all international forums and in NATO to disband these forces as they do not contribute to security in Kosovo." "Demilitarization (of Kosovo) is the only way to ensure security for people who live there," Tadic said. The new Kosovo Security Force (KSF) replaces the disbanded Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC), largely made up of former independence fighters. NATO has agreed to train and oversee the activities of the force, which will be under Kosovo command and will include military and civilian members. The Atlantic alliance will also oversee the dissolution of the existing KPC. Kosovo's independence has been recognised by more than 50 countries, including most of the European Union states and the US. However Serbia and the Serb minority -- an estimated 100,000 people who stayed in Kosovo after the end of 1998-1999 war -- oppose the move. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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