Defence minister begins Kosovo trip

Defence Minister Willie O’Dea today begins a two-day trip to Kosovo and Austria.

Mr O’Dea, the first Irish Minister to go to Kosovo since it declared independence on February 17, will visit 285 Irish troops serving in the region.

Ireland, which has participated in the KFOR (Kosovo Force) mission since August 1999, is currently the Lead Nation role in the Multinational Task Force.

Commanded by Brigadier General Gerry Hegarty, it is the first time Ireland has taken charge of a brigade-size force in such a peacekeeping operation, responsible for co-ordinating and controlling more than 1,200 troops from six nations.

Accompanied by Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lt Gen., Dermot Earley, Minister O’Dea will meet with Brig. Gen. Hegarty to review the mission to date and to be briefed on the current situation on the ground in Kosovo.

A Government spokeswoman said he will also visit members of the 38th Infantry Group serving in Camp Clarke and Camp Ville in Pristina and view humanitarian projects, which are supported by Irish troops.

Mr O’Dea, who also plans to meet with the recently appointed deputy prime minister of Kosovo, Hajredin Kuq, said he was looking forward to meeting Irish troops on the ground.

“It is important for me to travel overseas to meet our men and women and see at first-hand the great work they do,” he said.

“They serve this country magnificently and are changing the lives of the people of Kosovo in the name of peace.

“Kosovo, as a newly independent small country, has Ireland’s support and recognition and I am pleased to be able to convey that personally to the deputy prime minister when I meet him.

“I will also tell him of Ireland’s experience as another small independent country and how the support of the European Union, economically, socially and politically, has played an enormous part in helping us define the new Ireland.”

The Lisbon Reform Treaty will also be highlighted during the visits to both Kosovo and Austria.

However, Mr O’Dea stressed that the Treaty clearly states that national security remains the sole responsibility of each member state and will not have any impact on Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality.

“Ireland’s neutrality is in our hands and that is where it will be staying at all times,” he said.

Tomorrow, Mr O’Dea will meet Austrian defence minister Norbert Darabos in Vienna.

The meeting will focus on issues of mutual interest to the two countries, which are like-minded neutral countries.

A spokeswoman said the ministers will discuss the positive role that Ireland and Austria can play, as members of the European Union, in responding to emergency crises, by providing humanitarian relief and in supporting the maintenance of international peace and security in line with the aims of the United Nations and the UN Charter.

“Austria and Ireland are both participating in the UN mandated EUFOR mission to Chad, and both ministers will discuss progress being made by both countries in deploying to the region,” she added.