Spain withdraws its troops from Kosovo
The last Spanish troops officially withdrew from Kosovo over the weekend, marking the end of ten years of Spanish Kfor presence and a clear sign of Madrid's dissatisfaction with NATO's policy towards creating Kosovo Albanian security forces.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, September 21, 2009
A group of 88 troops landed at the Getafe Air Base in Madrid this Saturday. The Defence Minister, Carme Chacón, was waiting there at the end of the runway to welcome the soldiers home at the end of Spain's 10 year mission to the Balkans and to receive the last Spanish flag which, until Saturday, was flying at the base in Istok.
With her, was one of her predecessors in the post: Eduardo Serra, who was Partido Popular Minister of Defence at the start of the mission in 1999.
Spain, which does not recognise Kosovo independence, is the first country to withdraw all its troops from the region. Withdrawal by the end of this summer was announced by the Defence Minister during a visit to Kosovo in March and was, at the time, criticised by NATO as a unilateral and precipitated decision.
Over the course of 10 years, about 22,300 Spanish soldiers served in a 630-member security force. Nine were killed during that time, by disease or in accidents.
Almost 14,000 KFOR troops remain active in Kosovo.
