US defence secretary pledges further support for Kosovo

08/10/2008

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates reaffirmed Washington's continued support for Kosovo on Tuesday, stressing that the country's independence is irreversible and that its partition along ethnic lines is not an option.

(The Washington Post - 08/10/08; AP, AFP, Reuters, DPA, International Herald Tribune, VOA, RTTNews, Makfax, US Department of Defence - 07/10/08)

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates goes on foot patrol with soldiers Tuesday (October 7th) in Gjilan, Kosovo. [Getty Images]

US troops will remain in Kosovo for at least another year, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates pledged in Pristina on Tuesday (October 7th), reaffirming Washington's support for the newly independent country and NATO's peacekeeping operation there. The Pentagon chief, the first US cabinet member to visit Kosovo since it declared independence from Serbia on February 17th, said a new troop rotation would ensure a US presence on the ground until at least October 2009.

The United States has the fourth biggest contingent among KFOR's more than 30 contributing nations. Its nearly 1,600-strong contingent, in the eastern part of Kosovo, accounts for about a tenth of the NATO-led force.

"We will continue to fulfil our responsibilities there," Gates said after meeting with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. Gates also reiterated the promise US President George W. Bush made earlier to NATO partners that "we came in together and we will go out together."

He also promised that his country will continue to provide services, military equipment and training. In July, the United States pledged more than 290m euros to help rebuild Kosovo at an international donors' conference held in Brussels.

Kosovo's leaders thanked the United States for its support and Gates for his efforts.

The United States was among the first nations to recognise Kosovo's independence. Portugal became the 48th such country Tuesday.

Sejdiu appeared optimistic that more nations will follow suit soon, citing "positive signals" from neighbouring Macedonia and Montenegro.

To date, 22 of the EU's 27 member states recognise Kosovo, despite Serbia's strong opposition. The holdouts -- Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Romania and Spain -- fear encouraging their own separatist movements if they do.

Thaci pledged on Tuesday that Pristina would make every effort to integrate Kosovo Serbs in the new nation. His government, however, has virtually no control over about 15% of the country's territory, where an estimated 200,000 ethnic Serbs live, many of whom reject Kosovo's independence.

Backed by Russia, Belgrade refuses to accept Kosovo's independence as a fait accompli. It submitted a resolution seeking the International Court of Justice's view on the legality of the February 17th declaration of independence, on which the UN General Assembly will vote on Wednesday.

Gates stressed on Tuesday the impossibility of reversing the process or partitioning Kosovo along ethnic lines, as Serbian President Boris Tadic suggested last week.

"I don't believe Kosovo's partition will prove to be an option either now or in the future," the US defence secretary said.

Gates left for Macedonia later Tuesday to attend the Southeastern Europe Defence Ministerial in Ohrid. He will take part in a two-day NATO defence ministerial conference opening in Budapest on Thursday.