Lithuania to withdraw KFOR troops

VILNIUS- Lithuania has announced their decision to withdraw theirremaining KFOR UN Kosovo Forces from Kosovo. The view from Vilnius is that the stable situation in thenation is increasingly improving, and the economic crisis is putting a strainon the budget.

The news of Lithuania's withdrawal comes just days after Spain announced their decision to remove600 troops from KFOR.

The UK has also stated that they maywithdraw troops as well, due to the financial crisis.

Lithuania's decision to withdraw troops comes days after20 additional troops trained at Panevezys were deployed to Prishtina, Kosovo. KFOR-20will replace KFOR-19 deployed in Afghanistan since October 2008.

Lithuanian troops will joinPolish-Ukrainian Battalion POLUKRBAT. The troops will be based in the US CampBondsteel near the city of Ferizaj/Urosevac in southern Kosovo.

Since 1999, approximately900 Lithuanian military members have been deployed as part of the KFOR mission,600 as a part of POLUKRBAT.