Kosovo has sent an army platoon to Kuwait to take part in young country's first-ever international peacekeeping mission.
A ceremony was held on March 9 at the military barracks in the capital, Pristina, in the presence of top leaders and Western military attaches.
The unit will be deployed following a request from the U.S. Central Command.
Kosovo’s lightly armed military is expected to have 5,000 troops and 3,000 reservists. They are heavily supported by the United States.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. The move followed a bloody war between separatist ethnic Albanian rebels and Serb forces that ended in 1999 after a 78-day NATO air campaign to drive Serb troops out and allow a peacekeeping force to move in.
The country is recognized by most Western nations, but not by Belgrade and its allies Russia and China.
“It’s extremely important because 22 years after the war, we’re not just importing peacekeeping troops, we’re also exporting them,” Kosovo's acting President Vjosa Osmani said.
The peacekeeping platoon from Kosovo will be under the command of the National Guard of Iowa.
No precise details were given on their expected location in Kuwait, or the actual number of peacekeepers to be deployed. However, a platoon of 32 soldiers was seen lined up during the ceremony.
The 3,400-troop Kosovo Security Force was turned into a regular army two years ago, although its name has not been changed to armed forces as planned.
Tensions over Kosovo remain a source of volatility in the Balkans.
Kosovar Peacekeepers Sent On First Mission Abroad
Updated
Related
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
In Ukraine's Donbas, Intensifying Russian Offensives -- An Omen Of Things To Come?
2'They Will Send The Army To Ukraine': Bulgarian Social Media Flooded With Rumors Of Military Draft
3Interview: Writer Vladimir Sorokin Says Russia's Unresolved Historical Traumas Have Now 'Taken The Form Of War'
4'I Couldn't Just Stand By': Russian Fighters Explain Why They Took Up Arms Against The Kremlin
5Denounced By Her Classmates, Anti-War Russian Teen Faces A Long Prison Term
6Russia's 2021 Census Results Raise Red Flags Among Experts And Ethnic-Minority Activists
7Ukraine Will Hold Bakhmut, Zelenskiy Vows, Amid Warnings About New Offensive In The East
8The Week In Russia: Stalingrad And A 'Stupid, Criminal War'
9European Ban On Russian Diesel, Other Oil Products Takes Effect
10Situation 'Very Difficult' In East, Zelenskiy Says, As Ukraine Calls Again For Jets, Weapons
Subscribe