09.06.2010.
Norway presents awards to the Serbian AMET team
J-3 Commander of the Norway GS Colonel Morten Kolbjornsen presented the awards to the members of the SAF AMET team in the Norwegian residence last night. The AMET team was deployed as part of the Norwegian contingent in Chad in UN mission MINURCAT. The team leader Col. Slavisa Ciric, MD was presented with a Serbian flag.The ceremony was attended by state Secretaries Zoran Vesic and Igor Jovicic, representatives of MoD
and of SAF GS as well as the ambassador of Norway to Serbia Hakon Blakenborg and the delegation of the Norwegian GS.In his address to the present, State Secretary Vesic reminded the present that the cooperation of Serbia, then Yugoslavia, with Norway in peace operations dates back to 1950s and 1960s when the members of both armies took part in a mission in Sinai, therefore, the cooperation of both AMET teams in Chad is just a continuation of this over 50 year-long cooperation.
During his visit to the field hospital in Chad in March this year, as Vesic remarked, he saw that the Norwegian peace troops had made significant contribution to improving the situation in this African country, not only in the hospital in Chad, but also by deploying the unit to find and supply water. Soon, Serbia would send another medical team to the filed hospital in Chad, as he announced adding that it was a privilege and an honor to cooperate with the members of the Norwegian Peace Corps.
SAF has been part of the MINURCAT mission in Chad and the South African Republic since June 2009 when a Serbian military medical team was sent to be part of the Norwegian contingent in the field hospital, with a mandate under six months. The last rotation, including 21 members of SAF and MoD was stationed in Chad from May 2009 to April 2010, with 17 medical team members and four staff officers.The members of the team are engaged on daily tasks performed by the field hospital of the second degree, and are deployed to tour and provide help and support to local population.
