Story by JFC Naples Public Affairs 

PRISTINA, Kosovo - NATO and Kosovo leaders commemorated 20 years of Kosovo Force in a solemn remembrance ceremony here June 11.

KFOR Commander Italian Major General Lorenzo D’Addario and NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Naples commander U.S. Admiral James Foggo, led the event.

Before the ceremony, Foggo and D’Addario unveiled and dedicated a monument to remember the 213 soldiers who died while serving in KFOR.

"Their sacrifice has been an essential contribution to one of NATO’s greatest achievements since the end of the Cold War: helping restore peace and security throughout the Balkans at times when a return to conflict might have seemed inevitable,” Foggo said.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 established the Kosovo Force in 1999 as "an international security presence, authorized to establish a safe environment for all people in Kosovo.”

Originally manned with more than 40,000 personnel, KFOR now maintains just less than 4,000.

"Together, we are committed to European security and promoting peace in Europe and beyond,” Foggo said. "This is our continuing mandate for the children and youth. As we mark KFOR at 20, I encourage all of us to reflect. Yes, it is a time to remember, but it is also time to move forward.”