Voice of America, 7 October 2008

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Kosovo Tuesday, the most senior U.S. official to visit Kosovo since it declared independence from Serbia in February.

Gates, who will meet with Kosovo's top leaders during the one-day stop, said his main goal is to meet with U.S. troops.

The United States has a force of about 1,500 troops in Kosovo as part of a U.N. peacekeeping force. Gates says the U.S. forces will remain there until at least late next year.

Serbia considers Kosovo its religious and historic heartland and, along with Russia, has rejected its declaration of independence.

After Kosovo, Gates heads to Macedonia, which wants to join NATO. He then goes to a meeting of the alliance in Hungary Thursday and Friday.