Britain To Pull Out Most Peacekeepers From Kosovo

Local media has reported in recent weeks that NATO was looking to reduce the number of its peacekeeping troops.

Britain will pull out almost all of its peacekeeping troops from Kosovo by September, it said in a statement on Wednesday, citing better security there.

"Our current force of 167 personnel will be drawn down to a small number of posts between the end of March 2009 and 1 September 2009," said a statement from the British embassy in Pristina.

"Our drawdown reflects the changed circumstances in Kosovo, in particular the improved security situation," it said.

Local media has reported in recent weeks that NATO was looking to reduce the number of its peacekeeping troops.

About 55,000 NATO-led peacekeepers were deployed to preserve the fragile peace in Kosovo after the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia ended in 1999. Over the years the number of troops has been reduced to 15,000.