Germany's lower house of parliament approved Today a 12-month extension of the German troop presence in Kosovo, according to dpa. Germany has 2,300 troops serving with the NATO-led Kosovo force, the largest contingent from any of the 38 countries providing manpower for 16,000-member KFOR. Parliament also lowered the ceiling for the German troop presence in Kosovo from 8,500 to 3,500. The lower house first approved sending troops to Kosovo in June 1999, following the authorization of a military presence there under UN Resolution 1244. Deputies, who voted by a large majority in extension of the mandate, said the situation in Kosovo had stabilized, but was still too fragile to warrant a troop pullout.
