Skopje, Macedonia
The European Union took over its first peacekeeping mission ever this week with the launch of Operation Concordia in Macedonia. The mission is being seen in Europe as a test of the E.U.’s ability to maintain a military arm separate from NATO. It should be a fairly easy first task. NATO peacekeeping troops have already calmed the area and largely disarmed the ethnic Albanian militants who were fighting against ethnic Slavic Macedonian troops. If the E.U. peacekeepers fail to keep control of the region, the operation will revert to NATO control.
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