Regarding the western Balkans, Austrian Defence Minister Guenther Platter has recently said in an interview that Austria should intensify its engagement in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He recalled that the Balkans remained Austria's priority in international missions, and urged for the European Union to take over the administration from the United Nations over Kosovo.
Currently, the Austrian contingent in the NATO-led peacekeeping troops in Kosovo consists of 540 soldiers, while 290 Austrians are deployed in Bosnia.
The 6-7 March Innsbruck meeting will also address the EU potential in sending peace-keeping troops in possibly high-risk operations, their tasks and geographical scopes of such missions.