NATO to Keep Kosovo Force Strong

Mindful of the potential for a renewed outbreak of violence in the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo, NATO ministers pledged on Friday to maintain the current strength of their KFOR peacekeeping force, and agreed to make more troops available as need be.

"We will act resolutely against anyone who seeks to resort to violence," said NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as he opened the meeting.

"Regardless of the outcome of the status process, Kosovo will remain and has to remain a place where Kosovar Albanians, Serbs and others must be able to live in peace together, free from fear and free from intimidation," he said.

Following the failure of an international mediation effort to find a compromise on the future status of Kosovo, ethnic Albanian leaders in the province are expected to declare independence in the coming weeks, a move that could potentially unleash a new bout of unrest in the Balkans.

NATO currently has a 16,000-strong force deployed in the region, with four reserve battalions each comprised of several hundred troops on standby.

"We renew our commitment to maintain KFOR's national force contributions, including reserves, at current levels and with no new caveats," ministers said in a final communique.

EU nations divided over independence

However, ministers acknowledged that there was no agreement on the wider issue of Kosovo's independence.

"A lot more discussion will be needed," said Belgiam Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht following an informal dinner on Thursday.

Several EU states -- including Spain, Slovakia and Greece -- are wary of the prospect of an independent Kosovo, concerned that it could set a precedent for separatist movements in other regions.

Other nations recognize that independence is now inevitable for Kosovo after the failed attempt to reach an agreement with Serbian leaders, and are seeking a gradual move toward independence under international supervision.

Kosovo has been run by the United Nations, backed by NATO troops, since 1999 when an allied bombing campaign ended a Serb crackdown on the separatists.