Seventy soldiers from Westmeath met with Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday when he paid a visit to Irish troops serving in Kosovo.
Of the 70 local soldiers, 54 are from Custume Barracks in Athlone and 16 from Columb Barracks, Mullingar.
The Taoiseach travelled to Kosovo alongside Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea, and acting Chief of Staff, Major General Pat O'Sullivan, for the pre-Christmas meeting with 233 members of the Defence Forces.
The visit to the Irish troops took place at Camp Clarke, near Kosovo’s capital Pristina. Mr Cowen and Minister O’Dea also met with President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
The local soldiers are part of troops serving in Kosovo as part of a UN-authorised international force.
Irish troops have now been in Kosovo for almost 10 years, and more than 700 Irish soldiers are currently serving overseas in countries including Kosovo and Chad.
