25.05.2013.

Serbian peacekeepers return from Lebannon

At the Nis military airport Serbian peacekeepers from the mission "UNIFIL" in Lebanon were welcomed. The welcoming ceremony was attended by Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Aleksandar Zivkovic, commander of the Third Army Brigade Commander Brigadier General Zelimir Glisović, commander of the Peacekeeping Operations Center Colonel Milivoje Pajovic, including relatives and friends of members of the platoon of the Third Brigade of the Army.

Members of the platoon were deployed within the UN mission in Lebanon mission from 24th November 2012 to May 25, 2013, where they performed the tasks of security and control of facilities , districts and routes within the Spanish contingent in the base, "Miguel de Cervantes" in the town of Marjayun in southern Lebanon.

46 members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces (five staff officers, five members of the national element of support and 36 members of the platoon) were sent to the UNFIL mission, and today 36 officers and soldiers of the Third Brigade have returned.

The Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Aleksandar Zivkovic while greeting senior officers, soldiers and their loved ones said: "We pay tribute to the officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers on a task which they executed for eight months in a professional, military and graceful manner thus representing the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Armed Forces properly, while I wholeheartedly thank the parents, wives, children, relatives and friends for their support and patience that are provided to our soldiers during the participation in a peacekeeping mission. "

"I am happy to see that our members have returned alive and healthy, and to see that they have gained important military and life experience - said Brigadier General Zelimir Glisovic - Successful competition of missions in Lebanon is a sign that we have chosen the right professionals and that we have trained them well for the mission thus proving that the SAF can perform these missions outside the country. I am proud of this unit, as it received nothing but praise during its task in the mission and the MNO. "

Platoon commander Lieutenant Dalibor Mitrovic did not hide his happiness for being in Serbia with his superiors, soldiers, and families together. "What remains is a great life and professional experience of the mission from which we have returned - said Lt Mitrovic - and I can assure that we have justified the confidence placed in us by the Republic of Serbia, the Serbian Army, the Army and the Third Brigade, so everyone can be proud of us ".

From the Chief of the Centre for Peace Operations Colonel Milivoje Pajovic we learned that during yesterday this platoon, which returned from a peacekeeping mission, was replaced by a platoon from the Fourth Army Brigade and the members of the platoon after weeks of preparation in Spain had relocated to the zone where the UN operation in Lebanon is being executed. This platoon will remain in Lebanon until November, when the Army of Serbia will send an infantry company (three infantry platoons and a logistic platoon), which means that in Lebanon, in the UNIFIL zone, there will be up to two hundred members of the Serbian Army.

At the end of the year the Special Brigade autonomous teams for ship protection Special Brigade will leave for the mission within the UN program "World Food Programme". Members of the Serbian Army. At that time SAF members will be participating in six UN missions and two EU missions. "During 2013, 475 members of the Army of Serbia will take part in multinational operations, which is a double number of our members in international missions almost than in previous ten years together" - said Colonel Pajovic.