Visiting the Balkans this week, the head of the Department of Defense Martin Pfister met the Swisscoy troops in Kosovo. The security situation in the country is still too unstable to give up the commitment of these troops, he said Tuesday after his visit.
The first stop of its two -day working visit, the Zugois visited the Swisscoy troops in Mitrovica, in northern Kosovo. The Swiss soldiers are stationed there for a peace promotion operation between the Serbian and Albanian communities. “I am fascinated by the magnitude of the commitment; this is an important contribution for the region,” noted Martin Pfister.
The Swisscoy quota currently has up to 215 soldiers. It has been operational for over 25 years and is part of Kosovo Force (KFOR), led by NATO. The Swiss notably provide surveillance, logistics, transport and engineering services.
Promotion of peace
The objective of the visit of the new Minister of Defense, in office for 100 days, was to learn about the situation in terms of security and on the role of Switzerland in peace promotion commitments.
Switzerland’s commitment to Western Balkans is an essential component of international cooperation in Europe, wrote the Federal Department of Defense, Protection of Population and Sports (DDPS) on this subject.
It is a commitment to solidarity with other countries for the stability of the Balkans
Bilateral interviews in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina
In addition to the visit to the Swiss soldiers, Martin Pfister conducted bilateral interviews with his counterparts in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The federal councilor took this opportunity to repeat Switzerland’s desire to engage on the spot for peacekeeping in the region.
“Stabilization is also important for the perspective of people, to stay here,” said Martin Pfister in the 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Also important stability for Switzerland
According to the DDPS, stability in this region is of great interest to Switzerland from the point of view of security policy, economics and migration policy.
In parallel with the troops stationed in Kosovo since 2004, up to 20 Swiss soldiers participated in the Althea mission of the European Union Force (EUFOR-) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They and they notably ensure observation missions under the aegis of the stabilization force of the European Union.
>> Watch the subject on Martin Pfister’s visit to Sarajevo in 12:45 pm:
The mission, which costs around 50 million francs per year, was authorized by Parliament until the end of 2026. For Martin Pfister, this commitment remains essential. The Federal Council is therefore preparing an extension until 2027, he said on Tuesday, while specifying that in the end, it is the parliament that will decide.
ATS/KSO
