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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Nato will cut troops in Kosovo in spite of recent violence
Irish KFOR peacekeepers control a check point near the isolated village of Dobrotin in Kosovo, February 14 2008.
Recent violence in Kosovo will not deter Nato from going ahead with its plan to reduce the number of KFOR military personnel from 15 000 to 10 000 by the beginning of 2010.
This was said on September 2 2009 by Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"Despite the unfortunate incidents, I do not think that the general security situation has changed," Rasmussen said.
He confirmed that Nato was consider reducing KFOR further in future, but any such step would depend on an analysis of the security situation in Kosovo.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. The Nato decision to reduce troop numbers was announced earlier this year, before Rasmussen became Secretary General.
Nato defence ministers agreed at a meeting in Brussels on June 11 2009 to begin a gradual reduction of the size of KFOR in Kosovo, the alliance said in a media statement at the time.
The decision was made "taking into account the steady improvement of the security situation in Kosovo".
There had been a "positive evolution over a sustained period of time".
"The decision to gradually reduce troop numbers will reflect this development," Nato said.
News agency Reuters said that on August 25, seven people were wounded in northern Kosovo when minority Serbs and Albanians clashed in the ethnically divided city of Kosovska Mitrovica.
A hand grenade was detonated and the two groups briefly traded small-arms fire, police said.
In the capital Pristina, dozens of protesters led by an ethnic Albanian nationalist group rallied against the EU executive presence, damaging 24 EU vehicles.
This was said on September 2 2009 by Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"Despite the unfortunate incidents, I do not think that the general security situation has changed," Rasmussen said.
He confirmed that Nato was consider reducing KFOR further in future, but any such step would depend on an analysis of the security situation in Kosovo.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. The Nato decision to reduce troop numbers was announced earlier this year, before Rasmussen became Secretary General.
Nato defence ministers agreed at a meeting in Brussels on June 11 2009 to begin a gradual reduction of the size of KFOR in Kosovo, the alliance said in a media statement at the time.
The decision was made "taking into account the steady improvement of the security situation in Kosovo".
There had been a "positive evolution over a sustained period of time".
"The decision to gradually reduce troop numbers will reflect this development," Nato said.
News agency Reuters said that on August 25, seven people were wounded in northern Kosovo when minority Serbs and Albanians clashed in the ethnically divided city of Kosovska Mitrovica.
A hand grenade was detonated and the two groups briefly traded small-arms fire, police said.
In the capital Pristina, dozens of protesters led by an ethnic Albanian nationalist group rallied against the EU executive presence, damaging 24 EU vehicles.
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Nato to cut KFOR to 5000 – Secretary-General Rasmussen
Nato says it will halve its force in Kosovo to 5000 military personnel over the next few months because of improving security
Kfor reduces numbers in Kosovo to 10 000
The withdrawal of 4000 military personnel from Kosovo will not endanger security, Kfor says.
Kosovo will not be a problem for Spanish EU presidency – Moratinos
Spain, which takes over the rotating presidency of the EU on January 1 2010, is among the bloc’s members that does not recognise Kosovo, but says that this will not be a problem and that Madrid respects different points of view.
Refusal to recognise Kosovo hampering EU enlargement – Ahtisaari
In the space of less than a week, former UN special envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari twice says publicly that the EU should not accept Serbia as a member unless Belgrade recognises Kosovo as independent, and says that countries not recognising Kosovo are holding up EU expansion.
The KFOR formula
Nato’s decision to reduce KFOR in Kosovo raises many questions about the process – and concerns that some countries may withdraw too quickly
UN Security Council debates Kosovo
Representatives of Belgrade and Pristina tussle over UNMIK; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reports situation in Kosovo is ‘relatively peaceful’.
Nato to reduce KFOR
Gradual cutdown to a ‘deterrent presence’, Nato ministers agree. Possible timeframe is by January 1 2010, with further cuts if circumstances allow.
KFOR will continue to support Kosovo, commander says
No decision yet on future of force, says Nato chief Scheffer, after reports that Nato plans to scale down its operations in Kosovo.
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The Sofia Echo
for MIKE ..
dream on hahhahahahahahahahahha going back wher you gona go in kosova ncncncncncncn
never ever never.
serbia is gone 1999 .
Peggy why you are such b... i dont know i never so someone like you why dont you just SHUT UP.
in every topic you are present every letter you write ist virus ..you are sick peggy
did you escape from prison ore from kind of mental hospital..
just give up and relax kosova its gone live with that try to keep vojvodina [...]
Read the full comment and sandjak cuz in 50 years they gona be just 3,5 millions serb in the earth ,your nation is dying..Every kosovar has minimum 4 children .Serbs they have 1 ore nothing they dont have children they cant make children .
God bless AMERIKA with ALBANIANS wherever they are.
"Tony, that you for that photo but I have seen it before. Yes, it is a lovely photo."
what foto? and why lovely?
This comment has been hidden by the moderator because it contained квалификации.
Tony, that you for that photo but I have seen it before. Yes, it is a lovely photo.
Who do you think will make them explain this? You? You make me laugh. All I ever hear from Albanians is threats. Imagine threatening everyone and anyone who disagrees with them.
Don't you understand that without western help you are NOTHING.
Without NATO you didn't stand a chance and here you are threatening and making yourself sound so tough. They will have to explain this photo. Ha ha. Sorry, but this is amusing me. [...]
Read the full comment
First of all those Greeks were volunteers. It has nothing to do with the Greek government. Second, how many mujahedeens came to help their Muslim brothers. Are they going to get in any sort of trouble or their respective countries?
How about all the Irish who came to help the Croatians. Is Ireland going to suffer because of it.
Then we have the Russian volunteers. I am just waiting for someone to drop a bomb on Russia for that.
Thanks for the laugh.
This comment has been hidden by the moderator because it contained квалификации.
to mike albanians have two countries and within 10 jears will have 3 countries and 9 million peap
to peggy russians have allrady gone it dosent realy take much affort for the rumanian gypsys or gaygrecs to leave and as for the cincis the =y dont eaven nho wher kosovo is as for kosovo we controll or not u do not have any hard avidenc thet serbia das we are thinking now for half macedonia and cameria not to forget ulcin and presheva
Shemi, Of course you want Romanians and Greeks out, because they don't serve your purpose.
Go ahead, try to expell them. Tell them to go and see what happens to you.
You don't have any control over Kosovo and never will. It will always be guys like the Romanians and Greeks. You never know, it might even be the Russians and Chinese next.
Good timing! The ICJ will more than likely side with Serbia next week. Once the Nato troops are out, we can go back in and establish proper protocol on our own land. I really hope that they provide maps to Albania for those who don't know that they already have a country.
all we need ther is american bondstil the rest godby no need for rumanians or greecs