It has been more than 20 years since the first contingents of NATO forces arrived in Kosovo as part of the KFOR mission. Although the structure and composition of the mission have changed over time, KFOR remains the only legitimate military force in Kosovo, and NATO officials say its mandate will not be changed.
Who and how many soldiers participate in their KFOR missions is sometimes a topic for Serbian media and politicians. Thus, the composition of this mission was (again) put in the spotlight in Serbia after the announcement that Croatia would triple the number of its members in this mission over the next two years. The media, as well as government officials, have not told the public that this would mean that Croatia would increase the number of its troops from 38 to 150 over the next two years, out of a total of 3,400 members of this mission from 27 countries. .
In recent years, the trend towards the presence of countries from the region in the mission has significantly strengthened, even if the total number of mission members is decreasing. For example, at the start, this mission had around 50,000 members from 39 partner member states. Already in 2008, this number had fallen to around 17,500, while today KFOR has just under 3,400 soldiers from 27 different countries.
Regarding the number of mission members from countries in the region, Hungary has the largest mission with 387 members, and in November, for the first time, Major Genera Ferenc Kajári will head KFOR. According to Kajári, the Hungarian officers will serve, among other things, as political advisor to the commander and head of the legal advisory team.
With the appointment of Ferenc Kajári, a regional state assumes the position of KFOR commander for the first time. Previous practices, under which officers from Western European NATO members headed the mission, were discontinued.
After Hungary, Slovenia has the largest number of KFOR members at 219. But Slovenia, unlike other countries in the region, plans to reduce strike force, personnel and labor to support the KFOR contingent. As announced by the Chief of Staff of the Slovenian Army, Major General Robert Glavaš, the reduction of Slovenian forces will take place gradually.
“The reduction of KFOR forces stems above all from Slovenia’s desire and ambition for a more active approach and an increased contribution to the declared NATO and EU response forces,” he said. declared Glavaš in an interview with the Balkan Security Network.
As with other countries in the region, the Albanian contingent consists of 29 soldiers, the Montenegrin contingent of 2, while North Macedonia, which joined the mission for the last time as a new NATO member, counts 44.
Nikola Lunicthe executive director of the Belgrade Strategic Policy Council (CfSP) explains ISF that many countries in the world are trying to commit part of their capabilities to participate in peacekeeping operations, but with acceptable financial aspects.
“By assessing national interest on the one hand and the level of security challenges in a region on the other, it is logical that over time, national contingents will decrease. The same goes for the KFOR mission, which strives to adapt to such a situation, creating smaller but more flexible deterrent forces,” explains Lunić.
According to Lunić, countries in the region are more interested in KFOR, because the security of the Western Balkans directly affects their security.
“Regional actors are much more interested in the stability of the Western Balkans, as it directly affects their national security. On the other hand, by participating in KFOR, they guarantee a transparent commitment to collective security and participation with acceptable financial costs,” explains Lunić.
He adds that one should not overlook the fact that many countries in the region do not have the capacity to logistically support their contingents in peacekeeping operations abroad, but that their proximity to Kosovo allows them to support their units within KFOR.
Asked whether filling KFOR’s mission with forces from the region would be bad for the stability and integrity of the mission, Lunić responded that many politicians in the region project their personal perceptions of bilateral relations on members of international organizations.
“Many politicians in the region project their personal perceptions of bilateral relations, heavily affected by the experiences of the wars of the 1990s, onto members of international organizations that have a declared and transparent mission. Although distrust is understandable, political vocabulary should be the first to break out of the vicious circle of past life and focus on the future, economic prosperity and regional connectivity,” says Lunić.
He adds that “filling” KFOR’s mission with forces from the region is a good initial investment in the region’s future.
“I think young people should have the chance to enjoy democratic freedoms and the richness of multiculturalism, and not be held back by intolerance, violence and a lack of vision for development. This is why I am convinced that fulfilling the KFOR mission with forces from the region is a good initial investment in the future of the region,” believes Lunić.
The mandate is clear, the stay in Kosovo is certain in the future
Before the meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said in May that one of the great powers would soon issue a formal request for the withdrawal of KFOR and UNMIK forces from Kosovo . Despite the fact that structurally this mission has undergone significant changes, NATO officials assure that there is no reason for Belgrade’s headache and that KFOR remains in Kosovo with an immutable mandate.
“The NATO-led peacekeeping mission has remained unchanged since June 12, 1999, in support of international efforts to consolidate peace and stability in Kosovo. The mission’s commitment reflects the character of KFOR, which is essential to maintaining a secure environment and ensuring freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244/1999. , said Lunić.
He adds that the mission has not lost its importance.
“If we want to analyze the importance of this peacekeeping mission, we must assess all the security challenges and threats in Kosovo, both for a democratic and sustainable society and for each individual. Considering the fact that security challenges are present and tensions are escalating from time to time, KFOR has not lost its importance in the ongoing negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina. I would even dare to say that maintaining peace and stability in Kosovo is a necessary precondition for reaching a mutually acceptable agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina,” Lunić said.
He explains that KFOR’s mission is not limited by deadlines, but exclusively by the situation on the ground.
“I think that all actors in the region would be happy if the KFOR mission was interrupted, because it would mean that peace and stability would be assured for a long time. Unfortunately, this is not currently the case and the presence of KFOR in Kosovo is to be expected. Until the agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, we can expect a stabilization of relations and a limited level of trust, which could lead to a plan for a gradual withdrawal of the KFOR mission from Kosovo. , concluded Lunić.
