Taoiseach Brian Cowen is today meeting Irish peacekeepers serving with the Kfor mission in Kosovo.
Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea is accompanying the Taoiseach on the trip to Camp Clarke outside Pristina where 233 members of the 39th Infantry Group are based.
The politicians are also meeting the eight members of the Garda Síochána who are based in the Balkan region.
While in Pristina, the Taoiseach was meeting President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. The Taoiseach will return to Dublin this evening.
Since August 1999, Ireland has had a role in Kfor, a UN-authorised, Nato-led international force responsible for establishing and maintaining security in Kosovo. It was established on June 10th, 1999.
The Irish contingent comprises a mounted armoured personnel carrier company together with support and logistic staff and headquarter personnel. The 39th Infantry Group consists of 218 personnel.
The infantry group was first deployed in September 2003; previously a transport group had been deployed with Kfor since August 1999.
There are 743 members of the Defence Forces serving with UN missions worldwide.