(ANSA) - PRISTINA, 09 MAR - Kosovo's interim president, Vjosa Osmani, spoke today in Pristina at the greeting ceremony of the first national contingent leaving for a peace mission abroad. A group of personnel from the Kosovo Security Force will fly to Kuwait in affiliation with the Iowa (US) National Guard department. "I do not doubt that the training of our men will meet the required standards," said Osmani. On December 31, the Kosovar parliament approved a contingent of the Security Force in peacekeeping missions abroad, under American command within the Iowa National Guard. In recent months, the Kosovar leadership decided to transform the Security Force (which has a civilian mandate) into a real regular Army (military mandate).

Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence; therefore strongly opposes this change. However, the possible establishment of a Kosovar army should take place in several years. Resolution 1244 approved in 1999 by the UN Security Council provides that the only armed force authorized to be deployed in Kosovo is the Kfor, the force sent by Nato immediately after the war with the Serbs in 1998-1999. (ANSA).