The German government decided Wednesday to extend the mandate of Bundeswehr (army) as part of KFOR troops in Kosovo for another year.

The extended mandate maintains the ceiling on the number of Bundeswehr soldiers who can be deployed to the former Serbian province at 1,850. The German press reported that Germany currently has around 1,200 soldiers in Kosovo.

The press also reported that parliamentary commissioner for the German armed forces Hellmut Koenigshaushas criticized the recent deployment of troops to Kosovo, since they are overloaded. A part of the soldiers has been constantly engaged for almost a year and a half, he added.

The decision on extension made by Chancellor Angela Merkel still has to be approved by Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. Germany first sent its troops to Kosovo in 1999, and the press says that the situation in Kosovo ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections is critical and that therefore additional troops from Germany and Austria have been sent to reinforce KFOR.