Exciting, hosting peacekeeping troops from Kosovo citizens through photos

A British soldier holding Kosovar children in Pristina on 13 June 1999, a day after the first troops entered Kosovo.

Photo: Santiago Lyon (AP)

With flowers and smiling faces and pans that read “NATO”, numerous Kosovo citizens, hosted the first NATO peacekeeping troops to enter Kosovo today and 23 years ago.

June 12th in Kosovo is marked as Kosovo Freedom or Liberation Day.

NATO peacekeeping troops enter Kosovo after the North Atlantic Alliance's air campaign against Serb targets in Kosovo and Serbia, which lasted 78 days.

The bombings were suspended on June 10, 1999, following the approval of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The resolution was a compromise of five permanent members of the Security Council.

French troops entering Kosovo from northern Macedonia on June 12th 1999.

Under the resolution in Kosovo was the UN provisional administration established, UNMIK, to manage with the war-torn country, for a transition period until the establishment of local capacities and resolution of Kosovo's status.

A day before the entry of peacekeeping troops was signed the Kumanovo Technical Agreement, envisioning the withdrawal of all Serb forces from Kosovo and the entry of NATO's international troops into Kosovo.

The full withdrawal of Serbian troops ended on June 20, 1999.

Citizens in Prizren hailing German troops in Prizren on 14 June 1999.

The first soldiers to enter Kosovo territory in 1999 were members of the Norwegian Army. They were part of close to 50,000 peacekeeping forces from 36 countries around the world, of which 30,000 were from NATO states that came to Kosovo.

British NATO troops in Blace, on the border between Kosovo and North Macedonia. June 12, 1999.

With the entry of international troops possible return to their homes of over 800,000 refugees, displaced persons inside and outside Kosovo

A Kosovo Liberation Army soldier watching British KFOR forces enter Kosovo on 12 June 1999.

More than 13,000 people have been killed in the 1998-99 war, and more than 6,000 found.

Peacekeeping troops entering northern Macedonia in Kosovo. June 12, 1999.

Hundreds of Albanians killed by Kosovo have been found in mass cemetery in Serbia. Their troops are said to have been borne by Serb forces in order to conceal crimes.

According to the data, over 1,600 people are still considered undiscovered.

Twenty-three years after entering Kosovo, the number of KFOR troops has been reduced and currently in the country has more than 3,700 troops from 28 countries around the world. / REL