Italian general takes over KFOR command

31/08/2008

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Italian General Giuseppe Emilio Gay took over command of KFOR on Friday (August 29th), replacing French Lieutenant General Xavier Bout de Marnhac in the post. De Marnhac's year-long mandate was marked by tension, which followed Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence on February 17th. At the time, de Marnhac urged the public to abstain from violence and to develop dialogue to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings. Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu noted on Friday the significance of NATO's "continuous presence" in the young country and expressed his support for the establishment of Kosovo security forces. KFOR has been in Kosovo since 1999 and currently includes more than 16,000 troops from 32 countries. (AFP, Xinhua, AP, B92, Beta - 29/08/08)