Inspecting KFOR lorries in Novo Selo, Kosovo, in 2019
Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti has spoken out in favour of strengthening SWISSCOY, the Swiss armed forces’ contingent in Kosovo. He says his country is not only dependent on a continuation of the mission, but also on the Swiss contribution growing.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
Español
es
Kosovo recibiría con satisfacción más soldados suizos
“More Swiss officers and soldiers are always very welcome in our country,” Kurti said in an interview with CH Media on Friday. Kosovo is “infinitely grateful to Switzerland for its commitment with SWISSCOY”, he continued.
In November the Swiss government announced that it wanted to extend the SWISSCOY mission in Kosovo by three years, until the end of 2026.
A week ago the Security Policy Committee of the Senate also spoke out in favour. It had also requested that the number of army personnel be increased by a maximum of 30 during a deployment.
Currently, the maximum number of SWISSCOY personnel is 195 members of the armed forces. Parliament must approve the deployment because it lasts longer than three weeks and involves more than 100 army personnel. The current mandate expires at the end of 2023.
Since 1999 the Swiss armed forces have been involved with SWISSCOY in the Kosovo peacekeeping mission KFOR (Kosovo Force), the multinational military formation set up in 1999 after the end of the Kosovo war under NATO leadership.
More
More
Swiss keep an eye on tensions in Kosovo
This content was published on
Things are tense in northern Kosovo as a deadline approaches for Serbs to swap their Belgrade-issued number plates for local ones.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
COP29: Swiss NGOs call for strong financial support
This content was published on
Ahead of COP29, Swiss NGOs call for wealthy nations to pay $1,000 billion a year to help other countries solve climate problems.
Real Swiss wages likely to rise in 2025, says UBS bank
This content was published on
Higher wages and falling inflation are likely to boost Swiss purchasing power, which will be dragged back by rising health premiums.
This content was published on
Switzerland has a new tectonic map at a scale of 1:500,000, containing updates to geometry, distribution and nomenclature of the tectonic units.
This content was published on
Swiss artist Daniel Spoerri, known for his artworks using leftover food with dirty cutlery and crockery, has passed away in Vienna at the age of 94.
Climate change tipped to alter Swiss avalanche patterns by 2100
This content was published on
Climate change is expected to result in fewer avalanches overall in Switzerland but to increase the danger of wet snow avalanches by 2100.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
SWISSCOY: more female recruits for more peace
This content was published on
Women are still a minority in peacekeeping operations. The Swiss armed forces’ contingent in Kosovo shows just how important their role can be.
Government wants to extend Swisscoy mission to 2026
This content was published on
If parliamentarians agree, Switzerland’s contribution to the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo will be extended by another three years.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.