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Slovakia to Withdraw Its Forces from Kosovo by End of This Year
Wednesday 29 September 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, September 29 (TASR) - Slovakia will withdraw its soldiers from the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo by the end of 2010, the Slovak Government decided at its session on Wednesday.
However, even after withdrawing its Armed Forces, Slovakia will continue to fulfil the tasks of the international crisis management team in the Western Balkan region.
Currently, Slovakia contributes to NATO's operation in Kosovo with a mechanised battalion that is part of the Multinational Task Force centre. Slovak battalion carries out regular monitoring of premises and compounds of the local population, plus securing the local infrastructure as well as gradual and safe return of refugees and the ongoing protection of the Serbian minority. The battalion also helps humanitarian organisations with their activities in the region and creates conditions for the renewal of the peaceful co-existence of Serbs and Kosovo Albanians in the region.
Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova on Monday rejected the notion that the Slovak unit is to be withdrawn because Slovakia has officially refused to recognise the independence of Kosovo.
"The contract concerning our activities in the area had been signed before the issue of recognising Kosovo's independence arose," she stressed, adding that Slovakia has been involved in the mission for 11 years. When asked whether the current Government will recognise Kosovo's independence or not, Radicova replied that the answer hinges on the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo.
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