Bosnia is sending off 45 soldiers and eight military police officers to the Islamic State of Afghanistan as part of its support for NATO peace operations there.
The farewell ceremony for the 10th rotation of Bosnian soldiers in Afghanistan took place on Wednesday in the ‘Bozan Simovic’ barracks in the southern town of Capljina.
Defence Minister Marina Pendes said that peace missions are one of the obligations her ministry and the Armed Forces have according to Bosnia’s Law on Defence.
“I think this is another confirmation for how members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are prepared and ready, regardless of what international character the task in front of them is, to surely respond to all that is put in front of them,” Pendes said.
She emphasised that wherever they go, members of Bosnia’s Armed Forces get the best evaluations in peace missions.
The Bosnian soldiers will mostly be tasked with securing the base while members of Bosnia’s military police will execute military-political tasks, said Commander of the Operative Command, General Major Radovan Ilic.
“They will execute their tasks in accordance with the decision of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said, adding that the soldiers have been trained for the mission for six months.
Apart from other local officials representatives of NATO and the European Force,EUFOR, attended the ceremony.
