Germany Extends Kosovo Troop Presence

Germany’s lower house of parliament approved a plan yesterday to extend the presence of troops in Kosovo for an additional 12 months.

Deputies arguing in favour of the Kosovo troop extension said that although the situation in Kosovo had stabilized, it remained fragile.

Many Western countries have begun to cut their troop presence in Kosovo due to the impact of the global financial crisis. Lithuania, Spain, the United Kingdom and Russia began cuts at the begining of the year. 

Currently, Germany has some 2,300 troops serving with NATO in Kosovo.

At the conclusion of the 1999 war in Kosovo, the German Bundestag approved the decision to deploy troops to the province, following the authorization of a foreign military presence in accordance with UN Resolution 1244.