NATO to reduce presence in Kosovo by one-third in January

Pristina - NATO is set to further reduce the peacekeeping mission it leads in Kosovo at the start of next year, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's military chief in Europe said . US Admiral James Stavridis, on a visit to troops in Kosovo, said the peacekeeping mission, KFOR, is to be reduced in late January to 10,000 troops from the present contingent of 15,000.

"We have developed a plan that will reduce the forces from NATO here to a level of about 10,000 by the end of January," he told reporters.

KFOR deployed to Kosovo in June 1999, after NATO bombed Serbia to oust Belgrade's security forces from the territory and end the repression of the majority Albanian population.

The force initially had around 50,000 troops from 39 nations but was downsized as the threat of renewed violence faded.

In February 2008, Kosovo declared secession from Serbia, which leading Western nations endorsed. Serbia, backed by Russia, continued to fight Kosovo independence by diplomatic means.

While saying it will never recognize Kosovo, which it considers as its own heartland province, Serbia insists that it will not attempt to impose its rule over it by military means.