NATO to reduce troops in Kosovo to 5000

NATO to reduce troops in Kosovo to 5000

2010-10-29 21:30:43 GMT+7 (ICT)

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The number of NATO troops in Kosovo will be reduced from nearly 10,000 to 5,000 within months, NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday.

"Over the next few months, KFOR will progressively reduce its presence to around 5,000 troops in total, marking one more step in the adaptation of KFOR to a deterrent presence," said Rasmussen in a statement.

"The security conditions in Kosovo continue to improve, which is a positive sign not only for Kosovo, but for the whole region. Local institutions are increasingly capable of assuming responsibility for security tasks," he added.

According to Rasmussen, NATO will remain able to deploy forces "quickly and effectively whenever and wherever necessary, including with robust reserves."

NATO deployed soldiers in Kosovo since 1999, after the end of a bombing campaign against Serbian forces fighting separatist guerrillas.

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