Taoiseach praises Irish peacekeepers on historic Christmas visit to Kosovo

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen paid warm tribute to the work of Irish peacekeepers yesterday, as he became the first Taoiseach to pay a Christmas visit to members of the defence forces abroad.

After flying from Dublin yesterday morning, Mr Cowen spent several hours in the company of the 233-strong Irish contingent serving with the Kosovo Force (KFOR), the UN-authorised, NATO-led international force responsible for establishing and maintaining security in the small republic.

“On occasions such as this, one cannot fail but feel great pride in the role that the Irish Defence Forces have played and continue to play as peacekeepers throughout the world,” Mr Cowen told the troops at their Camp Clarke base, about 20 minutes from the capital, Pristina.

Irish forces have served in Kosovo since KFOR was created in 1999 to provide security in the region after Serbian forces under Slobodan Milosevic had been driven out. Mr Cowen said successive deployments of Irish troops had “played a hugely significant role” in restoring peace and confidence in Kosovo.

“The people of Kosovo have moved from war, misery and fear towards a stable, secure and peaceful future as an independent nation,” he said. “In large measure, this has been made possible by what your predecessors have done and what you continue to do.”

Earlier, Mr Cowen paid a courtesy call on Kosovo’s president Fatmir Sejdiu and prime minister Hashim Thaci at Government Buildings in Pristina. He confirmed that Irish troops would remain on the ground in Kosovo for the foreseeable future, as the country looks to build stability following its declaration of independence from Serbia.

“There is still some work to do and, subject to ongoing assessments of the situation on the ground, Ireland will maintain a presence in KFOR for some time yet.”

He also told the president and prime minister that Ireland would provide €5 million in funding over the next five years to assist the country in its development.

Kosovo declared its independence last February and, while KFOR describes the situation as stable, underlying tensions between the majority ethnic Albanian population and minority Serbs means the threat of violence remains.

During his visit, Mr Cowen received a briefing on the capability of the Irish contingent, as well as the peacekeeping work it undertakes and the humanitarian assistance it provides, such as building houses for needy families.

The Taoiseach also met a number of soldiers from his native Offaly. He said he felt it important as Taoiseach to come on behalf of the Irish people and thank the peacekeepers for the wonderful work that they did.

He also cited the work of defence force members serving in other spots across the world, such as Chad.

There are currently 763 members of the Defence Forces serving on various postings abroad.