Since then, more than 1.3 million Kosovo Albanian victims of ethnic cleansing have returned to their homes and villages; the murder rate has fallen from 50 to seven per week; and more than 16,000 houses, 1,165 schools and almost 2,000 kilometres of roads have been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance. Despite flashpoints, such as Mitrovica, life has returned to most towns with Pristina, the capital, now a bustling centre of cars, commerce and shops.

KFOR troops conduct between 500 and 750 patrols every day, guard more than 550 key sites, and man more than 200 vehicle checkpoints. Although many Serbs have fled Kosovo, most did so during the conflict or immediately after KFOR’s arrival, when troops had not yet been deployed to protect the population against ethnic violence. More than half of KFOR’s manpower is engaged in the protection of Serbs and other minorities and many have returned to the province.

Following an undertaking by the KLA to disband, KFOR has collected and destroyed 3,800 small arms and a further 8,500 weapons have been voluntarily handed in by former KLA fighters. KFOR is now helping build the Kosovo Protection Corps, a local civil emergency force, which will in time be accountable to the province’s democratically elected leadership. KFOR troops also patrol Kosovo’s borders and man crossing points.


THE EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE IDENTITY


At the Summit meeting in Washington in April 1999, Alliance Heads of State and Government set in train work on the further development of the European Security and Defence Identity and initiated discussions to address a number of key aspect of this process. These included arrangements to ensure the development of effective mutual consultation, cooperation and transparency between the European Union (EU) and the Alliance, based on the mechanisms established between NATO and the Western European Union (WEU) The role of the Western European Union is being progressively transferred to the European Union. Informal contacts were therefore established between the NATO Secretary General and the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy;

Discussions in Washington also focussed on the participation of non-EU European Allies and practical arrangements for EU access to NATO planning capabilities and NATO’s collective assets and capabilities. Alliance work on the implementation of the agenda established at the Washington Summit is continuing, taking into account the evolution of relevant arrangements in the EU. In mid 2000, discussions between NATO and the European Union were placed on a more formal, institutional basis.

An essential part of the development of ESDI is the improvement of European military capabilities.