NATO declares Kosovo Security Force to be fully operational

NATO Tuesday declared that the Kosovo Security Force has reached full operational capability and is fully ready to perform the tasks assigned to it within its mandate. \"I congratulate all members of the Kosovo Security Force on the achievement of this step. I thank the servicemen and servicewomen of KFOR for all they have done to help build the Kosovo Security Force,\" said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in a statement. \"The Kosovo Security Force mission remains the same as it always has been: to conduct civil protection operations and to assist the civil authorities in responding to natural disasters and other emergencies. The Alliance will continue to provide support and advice through a NATO Liaison and Advisory Team,\" he said. Rasmussen noted that KFOR\'s mission is also unchanged: to provide a safe and secure environment for all people and communities in Kosovo. \"We will continue to fulfill that mission according to our United Nations mandate,\" he stressed. He encouraged members of all communities in Kosovo to consider joining the Kosovo Security Force, to ensure that it continues to become a truly multi-ethnic and representative force. NATO has been leading a peace support operation in Kosovo since June 1999. Today, some 5,000 troops from the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) are in Kosovo.