New Bulgarian contingent leaves for Kosovo under KFOR

With a solemn ceremony Thursday at Pleven, a new Bulgarian contingent was sent to KFOR-Western Regional Command (RC-W).

Deputy Defence Minister Radoslav Iliev, Deputy Chief of the Joint Forces General Krasimir Kanev, Land Forces Commander Major General Dean Dukov, Deputy Commander of Joint Forces Command, counter-admirli Galin Manev, and representatives of local and state authorities participated.

Early in the ceremony, Kanev examined the bodies. A blessing for health and success on the mission was carried out by Father Krasimir Krastev by the Church of the Holy Trinity in Pleven. “Peace service is the service of God”, the priest said. It's a great honor and privilege for me to be with you at this solemn moment. Sharing in the NATO operation in Kosovo is a very responsible task of security and peace in the Western Balkans region. Your mission is to ensure, guarantee and demonstrate the Alliance's ability to maintain security and order in the region. You will accomplish your duties in an Allied form. Your mission's importance is also highlighted by the new realities, complexity, dynamics and the difficult security environment in which we live today”, Iliev said in his greeting to military personnel.

“In the context of increasingly dynamic changes in the global political and economic landscape, with existing conflicts proving difficult to resolve, and the military factor becoming more and more important on the international stage, the experience you gain in preserving peace and stability will become increasingly valuable”, Kanev said in his greeting to participants in the military contingent. He added that the experience gained in such missions is important not only for the duties military personnel will have in Kosovo, but also for their future professional career.