Switzerland - Kosovo Federal Council wants to extend Swisscoy deployment in Kosovo until 2029
The Federal Council wants to extend the Swisscoy mission until 2029. It will then be thirty years since Swiss Armed Forces personnel first supported KFOR. Parliament must approve the extension.
19.11.2025, 11:12
SDA
Since October 1999, the Swiss Armed Forces have been participating in NATO's international peacekeeping mission Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Kosovo with their Swiss Company and Swisscoy contingents. The maximum number of Swiss Armed Forces personnel is currently 215 and the current mandate expires at the end of 2026.
The Federal Council is proposing to the Federal Assembly that the mandate be extended until the end of 2029, with the number of personnel remaining unchanged. However, it wants to be given the authority to increase the number of personnel by up to thirty if the security situation deteriorates and KFOR should report a need.
The Federal Council writes that the situation is currently calm. However, it remains volatile, particularly in the north of Kosovo, where tensions between ethnic groups persist. In 2023, serious security incidents prompted NATO to reinforce KFOR twice.
NATO and the countries involved are of the opinion that KFOR must remain as long as relations between Kosovo and Serbia have not normalized. The deployment of Swisscoy must be approved by parliament by law.
The budget for up to 215 members of the armed forces amounts to CHF 48.9 million. Should an increase become necessary, the costs would be covered by the Defense Department's budget.
