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Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, T.D., pays first visit to Irish Troops in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Paul Kehoe, T.D., Minister with Responsibility for Defence, has paid his first visit to Irish troops serving overseas with the International Security Presence in Kosovo (KFOR) and the EU-led Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR BiH).
Ireland has participated in the KFOR mission since 1999 with almost 3,000 military personnel having served there over this period. There are currently 12 Irish personnel serving with this mission.
Minister Kehoe commented
“Ireland has been positively engaged in building a safe and secure Kosovo, through our troop presence in the UN mandated KFOR mission. Security in Kosovo remains vital to security in the Western Balkans and in Europe. I believe the Irish Defence Forces have made an important contribution to the stabilisation process in Kosovo.”
Ireland has participated in EUFOR BiH since its establishment in 2004. There are currently 5 Irish personnel serving with this mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main objectives of the operation which was launched in December 2004, are to support efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina to maintain a safe and secure environment and to provide capacity-building and training support.
The Minister noted
“I have visited a number of other missions already this year and I have a first-hand understanding of the risks and challenges faced by our personnel while deployed on overseas missions. Irish troops serving overseas represent our country with professionalism, dedication and courage and it is important for me personally, to meet our troops on the ground and to let them know that Ireland is proud of them and to thank them for their service.”
Currently there are 645 Permanent Defence Force personnel serving overseas in locations such as the Middle East, Mali, Western Sahara, the Congo and the Mediterranean.
This visit follows recent ceremonies in Dublin and in the United Nations HQ, New York marking 60 years of Ireland's contribution to UN peacekeeping operations. Irish troops were first deployed on UN peacekeeping operations in 1958 and since then, not a single day has passed without Irish participation in UN peace support operations.