NATO to reduce Kosovo force by January: U.S. official

By David Brunnstrom
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO plans to scale down its 15,000-strong KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo to 10,000 by January because security and political conditions have improved, a U.S. official said on Monday.
"KFOR is looking to shift to the next phase of operations -- to a deterrence presence," the official, who requested anonymity, told a news briefing.
KFOR has been in Kosovo since 1999 under a United Nations mandate since NATO's bombing campaign to drive Serb forces out of the province, which declared independence from Serbia last year.
The official said a mission review had found the security situation had improved enough for the reduction.
The military recommendation has been considered by NATO ambassadors and will be formally decided at a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels this week, he said.
KFOR was now operating as a third line of security after the local Kosovo Security Force and a 2,000-strong European Union mission, he said, and had not had to intervene for some time.
"It is the recommendation of the military authorities, based on the security situation on the ground, and recognizing the political conditions in the country, that we can now move to this new phase and reduce the forces," the official said.
Any further reduction in the force would be made only if recommended by NATO's military and agreed by all NATO states.
PRESENCE 'UNNECESSARY'
In April, Kosovo asked the United Nations -- which officially remains in charge of the country on the basis of a 1999 Security Council resolution -- to end its mission.
It said its presence was unnecessary following Pristina's independence declaration.
The U.S. official said the United States opposed any unilateral decisions by NATO member states, such as that taken by Spain, to reduce their Kosovo commitments.
Spain, one of five EU states that has refused to recognize Kosovo's independence, has said it will withdraw most of its 600 troops from Kosovo in months. Britain said in March it would pull out all its 167 KFOR personnel by September.
Kosovo's independence is recognized by 58 countries including the United States and most EU member states. Serbia and Russia, a permanent Security Council member with veto rights, have said they will not recognize an independent Kosovo.
The United Nations has reduced its staff over the past year but wants to keep a small presence, mainly in northern Kosovo where the inhabitants are mostly Serbs.
(Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source: Reuters