President Musar, soldiers in KFOR: Kosovo and BP, very important for Slovenia

Slovenia's President-General Defence Forces Commander Natasa Pirc Musar and Slovenian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Robert Glavas, visited members of Slovenia's 50th Armed Forces contingent operating in the Kosovo KFOR operation.

In addition to meetings and talks with the command staff of this operation, the Slovenian president also used the visit to associate with members of Slovenia's FA prior to Christmas and New Year's holidays and the National Independence and Unity Day Festival.

As Slovenian presidency reports, at the <x0m City” military base in Pristina, Pirc Musar was initially hosted by KFOR Commander Major General Enrico Bardoniti.

The Slovenian president discussed her country's contribution to the peacekeeping operation in Kosovo, as well as operational tasks, future plans and the current security situation in the region.

Following the visit, she also met with the commander of Slovenia's 50th Slovenian contingent of the FA in Kosovo, Lieutenant Colonel Iztok Stavanja.

During the talks, as reported in the communiqué, she was introduced to the mission and tasks of the contingent and the situation in the area of operation.

Kosovo and the wider Western Balkans region are of great strategic importance for Slovenia. To achieve lasting stability throughout the region, further support is needed from the international community, where KFOR's operation is one of the most important pillars”, Klankosova.tv reported.

On the occasion of meeting with Slovenian soldiers, Slovenian president stressed that every day more than 300 Slovenian soldiers in the Western Balkans, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and elsewhere ensure stability and respect for international law.

This is a responsibility not everyone is able to do. As members of the Slovenian Armed Forces, you are a defender of multilatheralism, a pillar of peace and a steadfast Guardian of mankind in the world. Soldiers do not start wars, but they are initiated by unreasonable politicians who never step on front lines or line up front”.

I am deeply saddened that many families and children worldwide will spend vacations in ruins, tombs, or shelters. You have chosen a noble profession based on important social values, such as respect for human rights and freedoms, society, love of country, humanity, solidarity. You protect and feed these values in an international environment for more than 25 years. Over the years, you have supported institutions and security forces in international operations and missions to preserve security and stability and have assisted the local population with projects”, Slovenia's FA Commander General, Natasa Pirc Musar, has said.

She also stressed that Slovenian FA members are always those who wear uniform with honor and responsibility and carry the Slovenian flag in line with the oath of protecting the homeland.

The “people have a lot of faith in you because we know we can always count on you. I have constantly seen that during your service abroad, you enjoy the confidence of your international colleagues in KFOR and other missions, as well as representatives of local communities. I myself get a lot of commendation from different conversationaries for your work. I always proudly accept them, knowing that they have been sincerely said”, she added.

Her visit to the military base in Pristina will conclude with participation in a concert of the Slovenian Armed Forces band “Naboj”, dedicated to soldiers on the mission in Kosovo.