NATO will gradually reduce and adjust the size of its peace support mission in Kosovo over the coming year, citing a steady security situation and increased capabilities among local security organizations.
The alliance said on Friday that changes to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), which has operated in the country since 1999, will take place gradually and will depend on conditions on the ground.
“NATO and KFOR are fully committed to safety and security in Kosovo,” U.S. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), said in a statement.
He added that improved stability and stronger local security organizations had created an opportunity to further optimize KFOR’s size and posture.
The planned adjustments will follow national troop rotation and redeployment cycles between now and next year, NATO said.
The alliance stressed that the changes will be carefully managed and could be reversed if security conditions require a stronger presence.
KFOR was established in 1999 following the Kosovo conflict and has remained a NATO-led mission focused on maintaining peace and security in the country.
