Bulk of final UK troops in Kosovo to draw down

A Military Operations news article

4 Mar 09

Over the next few months the force of 167 UK personnel currently serving in Kosovo will draw down to a small number of posts Defence Secretary John Hutton has announced today, Wednesday 4 March 2009.

MOD Announcement

The drawdown will take place between the end of March 2009 and 1 September 2009 and reflects the significant progress made by Kosovo over the last twelve months in reinforcing stability and the changing requirements of the NATO force in Kosovo (KFOR).

Mr Hutton said:

"The Supreme Allied Commander Europe has decided that the specific capability, currently provided by the UK to the NATO force in Kosovo, is no longer required.

"Our drawdown reflects the changed circumstances in Kosovo, in particular the improved security situation. The key milestones in Kosovo's independence have passed without major incident and the security situation in Kosovo is generally calm.

"The EU Rule of Law Mission has recently rolled out across Kosovo. Against this backdrop, and with over 14,000 personnel still in theatre, NATO remains well-placed to deal with any potential security incidents."