KFOR to be reduced, NATO says
22/06/2009
NATO will trim its KFOR contingent by a third, possibly by year's end.
By Besa Beqiri for Southeast European Times in Pristina -- 22/06/09
 "Kosovo's challenges have moved beyond military to internal security threats that can best be handled by the country's multiethnic police force," said NATO Joint Force Commander Admiral Mark Fitzgerald. [Laura Hasani] |
NATO officials have decided on a significant scaleback of KFOR troops. According to Joint Force Commander Admiral Mark Fitzgerald, the number will likely be cut from 14,000 to 10,000 by January.
Speaking during a visit to Pristina on Wednesday (June 17th), he said the move would not jeopardise security in Kosovo. "Kosovo's challenges have moved beyond military to internal security threats that can best be handled by the country's multiethnic police force," Radio Free Europe quoted him as saying.
He said further cuts were in store, from 14,000 to 2,500 peacekeepers within two years. That, however, "will depend on the situation and the political direction" in Kosovo, he added.
NATO defence ministers decided on the reduction at a meeting on June 11th. According to the Alliance's secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, they determined that the political and military conditions are right for a move towards a gradual adjustment … of KFOR's force posture to what we call in our jargon a deterrent presence.
Prime Minister Hashim Thaci welcomed the news, saying it demonstrated Kosovo's "stability and progress" a year after the country proclaimed independence.
State Secretary of the Ministry for Kosovo Zvonimir Stevic told Tanjug last month that "the reduction of KFOR's presence would be harmful for Serbs and non-Albanians in the province, who justifiably fear that the withdrawal of international force would additionally jeopardise their safety."
Serbia's Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac was on hand in Brussels. He met with de Hoop Scheffer and conveyed Belgrade's anxiety over NATO's decision.
"As long as it is possible, current KFOR numbers should be kept, having in mind that Serbs and other non-Albanians have the greatest confidence in KFOR when it comes to the security structures in Kosovo," Sutanovac said.
Nearly 50,000 NATO troops were deployed in Kosovo over the last decade, but their numbers have dwindled.
Email to a friend
Print Version 
Kosovo: Impasse at the Border
Energy: Issues and Trends
Changing Perceptions: Women in the Balkans
The Balkans: Going green
We welcome your comments on SETimes's articles.
It is our hope that you will use this forum to interact with other readers across Southeast Europe. In order to keep this experience interesting, we ask you to follow the rules outlined in the comments policy. By submitting comments, you are consenting to these rules. While SETimes.com encourages discussion on all subjects, including sensitive ones, the comments posted are solely the views of those submitting them. SETimes.com does not necessarily endorse or agree with the ideas, views, or opinions voiced in these comments. SETimes.com welcomes constructive discussion but discourages the use of copy-pasted materials, unaccompanied links and one-line slogans. This is a moderated forum. Comments deemed abusive, offensive, or those containing profanity may not be published.
SETimes's Comments Policy