18/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - Portuguese Defence Minister Nuno Severiano Teixeira travelled to Belgrade on Monday evening 17 September to meet the Serbian authorities, and, on behalf of the presidency of the EU, take stock of the situation in the region. During his visit, which continued on Tuesday 18 September, Teixeira was due to again meet the president of the province of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu, the commanding officer of the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR), French General Xavier de Marnhac, the special representative of the UN Secretary General for Kosovo Joachim Rücker and the head of the EU planning team Casper Klynge. The aim of the visit was to allow the Portuguese minister to see the security situation for himself, said his spokeswoman Ines Rapazote. Teixeira also visited the some 300 troops on the Portuguese unit taking part in the KFOR mission, at their Slim Lines base in Pristina. (aby)