EU Plans to Sharply Cut Bosnian Peacekeepers

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana says EU officials will likely decide Tuesday to sharply cut the number of peacekeepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Solana said Monday the security situation in Bosnia is much improved. EU officials will likely reduce the number of troops from the current 6,000 to 2,500.

The ministers are also expected to formally decide today on whether to extend the Bosnian peacekeeping mission for another year. The current mandate expires on June 30.

NATO peacekeepers were deployed to Bosnia as part of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended the fighting in the former Yugoslavia. NATO turned over peacekeeping duties to the European Union in 2004. - VOA News