Defense Secretary Robert Gates gets a briefing before going on a short dismounted patrol in Gnjilane, Kosovo, which is home to about 140,000 people. (Jeff Schogol / Stars and Stripes)
PRISTINA, Kosovo — Defense Secretary Robert Gates made an unannounced visit to Kosovo on Tuesday to assure U.S. troops there that they are "neither forgotten nor unappreciated."
Tuesday’s visit marked the first time a defense secretary has visited the region in seven years. He is also the first Cabinet official to visit the country since it declared its independence earlier this year.
About 1,500 U.S. troops, mostly from the National Guard, are on a peacekeeping mission to Kosovo as part of the NATO Kosovo Force, or KFOR.
"Because of the dedication and professionalism of our troops, KFOR remains the most respected and trusted institution in Kosovo, and it has helped transform a once troubled region into a peaceful place where all citizens have the opportunity to live in freedom," Gates told reporters at a news conference.
While U.S. troops’ mission in Kosovo is "vital," the country also needs more economic development and assistance, Gates said.
"There are a significant number of countries that have an interest in the success of Kosovo, and clearly that success depends also on its economic development, and so I think that there are opportunities for both economic assistance but also investment in Kosovo — that’s the long-term solution," he said.
The unemployment rate in Kosovo averages between 45 percent and 55 percent, said Brig. Gen. Larry Kay, head of Multi-National Task Force — East.
Additionally, the region is still awash in weapons and munitions, some going back to World War I, Kay told reporters before Gates’ news conference.
And Kosovo remains a smuggling route for the rest of Europe, he said.
"Smuggling is a seasonal thing here, and where there is heavy rainfall, when there is snow, when we are going into the winter, it drops off dramatically, simply because they can’t get through the mountains," Kay said. "And so we’re in a spike right now, but we know that that’s a seasonal spike.
Later on Tuesday, Gates drew crowds of curious onlookers as he went on a short dismounted patrol through the city of Gnjilane, the site of rioting in 2004. Since then, U.S. troops have formed teams to gauge the mood of local residents.
