Since Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on February 17 the province has seen a rise in tension, including the death in March of a Ukrainian peacekeeper in violent clashes. The British troops are expected to be used to maintain public order.
"We are ... well prepared to meet NATO's request and I have agreed to deploy our Operational Reserve Force battalion until June 30, 2008," Des Browne said in a written statement to parliament.
The battalion, which has been on standby since January, will complement the 16,000 NATO-led force already deployed in Kosovo.
NATO peacekeepers have been deployed in the region since NATO's 78-day bombing ended a bloody conflict between the Albanian majority and Serb forces in Kosovo in 1999.
