03.01.2012.

Second rotation of SAF peacekeeprs return from the mission in Lebannon

Serbian Army members who formed the second contingent of Serbian soldiers in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon were welcomed yesterday at the Belgrade airport "Nikola Tesla" by the Head of the Centre for Peacekeeping Operations of the General Staff Colonel Jelesije Radivojevic, as well as their family and friends. Lt. Col. Igor Scepanovic, Majors Stevan Raseta, I. Trajkovic and Srdjan Bulatovic and captain Slavko Djukic returned to Serbia after a six-month stay in Lebanon, where they were assigned as staff officers.

According to Major Trajkovic, Serbian team was satisfied with the achieved results and proved to be equal with other the members of other countries’ armed forces that participated in the mission. "We were deployed in the East sector, where we together with members of the Spanish armed forces were responsible for ensuring peace and to provide the Lebanese army of to establish legitimate control of the country, which is the main task of UNIFIL mission in that country," said Major Trajkovic.

Lt. Col. Igor Scepanovic, after whom this mission in East Timor and Liberia, the third part in the peacekeeping mission, led by the Serbian team in Lebanon and served as the overall command of the contingent, including disciplinary matters, unutrušnju organization and maintenance of order among the members. He pointed out that the mission passed peacefully and without any significant security threat, but is raising tension was obvious in the last two months of stay of our peacekeepers in the country zapadnoazijskoj.

"Despite everything, the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon, all seen as a factor of stability in the region, and therefore can be said that there was no significant change in the status of security. The third rotation of the Serbian soldiers in this mission yesterday officially took office, and will continue to perform dedicated tasks the next six months, "said Scepanovic.

Head of the Centre for Peacekeeping Operations said the participation of the Serbian army in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, but also in other regions around the world as an important tool of foreign policy of Serbia and a component part of other missions of the Army of Serbia. In peacekeeping missions in Africa, the Middle East, Cyprus and Lebanon is currently 65 members of our armed forces, although, according to Colonel Radivojevic, planned for next year's substantial increase in the number of participants.

United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Republic of Lebanon was established in 1978, and members of the Serbian Armed Forces participate in it by December 2010