Send-off ceremony for Serbian peacekeepers held in Vranje

VRANJE - A send-off ceremony for 43 Serbian Armed Forces (VS) soldiers bound for a six-month duty in the UN's peacekeeping mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was held in the southern Serbian city of Vranje on Wednesday.

The ceremony, held at the "First Infantry Regiment of Prince Milos the Great'' barracks, was attended by Lieutenant General Aleksandar Zivkovic, commander of the Serbian Army, the land-based VS component, and relatives and friends of soldiers in the new VS rotation in UNFICYP.

Receiving the Serbian state flag from the hands of Lt. Gen. Zivkovic, rotation chief Lieutenant Ivica Barac said that he is confident that the members of the Serbian Armed Forces will carry out all their tasks honorably and professionally.

Lt. Gen. Zivkovic said that participation of Serbian soldiers in peacekeeping missions clearly demonstrates Serbia's commitment to promoting peace and security around the world.

He pointed out that this is the sixth Serbian Army rotation to be sent in the mission in Cyprus as part of the Hungarian and Slovakian contingent since 2011.

“I am pleased to say that we are proud of the results that members of the Serbian Army achieved in Cyprus, and also in other peacekeeping operations across the world,” Zivkovic said.

Serbian peacekeepers are also engaged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), Liberia (UNMIL), and Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), with the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in the Middle East, and in EU missions in Somalia.

Photo Tanjug Video