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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Spanish defence minister to meet Nato chief over Kosovo withdrawal
Spain's prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
ON DUTY: United States military personnel, part of Kfor in Kosovo.
Spanish defence minister Carme Chacon was scheduled to hold talks in Brussels on March 26 2009 with Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to explain a controversial sudden announcement by Madrid that it was withdrawing its military personnel from the Kfor mission in Kosovo.
The move will mean that 630 Spanish personnel will leave the Kfor military force.
The United States has said that it is "deeply saddened" by Spain's decision, while on March 20 a spokesperson for Scheffer said that such changes should take place "as a result of a decision within the alliance when there is agreement that the political and the security conditions are in place".
Spanish media said that other countries that were unhappy about the Spanish decision included Germany, Italy, Romania and Greece.
The decision by Spain has caused domestic political controversy and criticism by local media.
On March 24, El Mundo said that the change had been "improvised" by Chacon and prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and went against a statement made just 19 previously by foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos that now was not the time to withdraw Spain's military personnel.
Daily newspaper ABC said that Spain's decision on troop withdrawal from Kosovo could impair Spanish interests in the United States, and claims that more than 50 billion euro in contracts had been prejudiced by the decision.
The move will mean that 630 Spanish personnel will leave the Kfor military force.
The United States has said that it is "deeply saddened" by Spain's decision, while on March 20 a spokesperson for Scheffer said that such changes should take place "as a result of a decision within the alliance when there is agreement that the political and the security conditions are in place".
Spanish media said that other countries that were unhappy about the Spanish decision included Germany, Italy, Romania and Greece.
The decision by Spain has caused domestic political controversy and criticism by local media.
On March 24, El Mundo said that the change had been "improvised" by Chacon and prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and went against a statement made just 19 previously by foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos that now was not the time to withdraw Spain's military personnel.
Daily newspaper ABC said that Spain's decision on troop withdrawal from Kosovo could impair Spanish interests in the United States, and claims that more than 50 billion euro in contracts had been prejudiced by the decision.
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The Sofia Echo
VIVA Espana !!!!!!!! u kiss no ones and thats why everyone loves Spain and Serbia ...although some hate to admit it :)
Last time I checked, UK withdrew all its forces from Kosovo, and Lithuania is planning it as well. Can someone explain me the shouting and bile coming Spain's way for doing the same?
Zapatero must be surrounded by a bunch of idiots. He is pulling the same stunt when he withdrew his forces from Iraq. It was his decision and his alone. He wants to improve relations with the USA and all he does is make the situation worse. He did it with Bush and is doing it again with Obama.
Hello everyone
NONE KNOWS WHY THIS HAPPENED, WHERE THERE ANY CASUALTIES WITH THE MINOR SPANISH TEAM THERE, WAS THERE ANY SPANISH SOLDIER KILLED?
ANSWER TO THIS IS A BIG NO!
EVEN WITHOUT SPAINS 630 SOLDIERS KOSOVOS'S OVER 2 MILLION POPULATION WILL REMAIN CALM AND STABLE, THIS LOOKES VERY BAD ON SPAIN TO THAT EXTAND ON WHAT WE CAN EXCPECT FROM SPAIN IN RAINY DAYS LIKE THIS...OR DOES SPAIN FORGOT THE INTERNATIONAL HELP THEY RECIVED NOT LONG TIME AGO TO MAKE SPAIN WHAT IT IS TODAY...HOW MANY AMERICAN, CANADIAN GERMAN,FRENCH,BRITISH,ITALIAN,ALBANIAN,POLISH,DENI
Read the full comment SPAIN FOR THE SPANISH SAKE ON BRINGING LONG TIME PEACE AND AN END TO SPANISH CIVIL WAR...
IF THEY CAN BITE THE HAND THAT HAS BEEN FEEDING THEM FOR YEARS AND HELPED IN MAINTAINING PEACE IN THEIR HOME WHAT ELSE CAN WE (THE WEST) WHAIT AND EXCPECT FROM THIS COUNTRY AND ITS GOVERNMENT...I BELIVE SPAIN SHOULD BE LOOKED WITH A CLOSER EYE AND TRUST MUST BE MADE OR OTHERWISE NOT TO BE GIVEN ANY KIND OF SUPPORT IN THE NEAR FUTURE....
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!