Taking over command of the EUFOR mission is a recognition of the professionalism and dedication of the Romanian troops in this important mission, Romania’s Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said on Thursday in Sarajevo, Serbia.

According to the Romanian Defence Ministry (MApN), Tilvarf went to Camp Butmir in Sarajevo, where he had a meeting with the command teams of the European Union and NATO bodies present in this war zone and a meeting with the Romanian troops carrying out missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina within EUFOR ALTHEA.

Talks with Commander of EUFOR ALTHEA Laszlo Sticz, and Bahri Yildiz, deputy commander of the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, included the security situation in the Western Balkans, with a focus on the close cooperation between Romania and the international military bodies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting the support provided to the EU and NATO missions in the region.

„The stability of the Western Balkans region remains a priority for Romania, which is of strategic importance to Euro-Atlantic security. Our country’s operational involvement in this war zone within the European Union mission EUFOR ALTHEA, which will be commanded by Major General [Florin-Marian] Barbu, in our delegation today, is proof of Romania’s firm commitment to the Balkans,” Tilvar is quoted as saying during the official discussions.

He met with the Romanian soldiers in Sarajevo, deployed in the most important military base of the EUFOR ALTHEA operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Referring to the commitments of Romania regarding keeping up stability and security in the Western Balkans, Tilvar said that after a term of office successfully completed by Ovidiu Lungu, as Chief of Staff of EUFOR, the Romanian armed forces will increase the level of representation within the mission by taking up in early 2025 the leadership of the most important multinational operation in the Western Balkans.

Commanding this operation, said Tilvar, will strengthen the prestige and will consolidate the respect enjoyed by the Romanian military within the Euro-Atlantic community.

„By taking over the command of the EUFOR ALTHEA mission starting in January next year, by Florin Barbu, Romania reaffirms its status as the main contributor to the multinational stabilisation force deployed by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Tilvar.

Tilvar’s Western Balkans tour is part of a series of activities that precede the Romanian Army Day.

The European Union’s EUFOR ALTHEA operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was launched in December 2004 under the mandate of the UN Security Council. The mission succeeds the SFOR and IFOR operations, carried out under NATO command. Since 2012, EUFOR ALTHEA has been focusing on training and strengthening the capacity of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Currently, 24 countries are participating in the EUFOR ALTHEA operation. The Romanian Army detachment consists of approximately 470 soldiers deployed in three bases, and over 700 soldiers in the country are assigned to the operational reserve, to the extent that they will be deployed as soon as possible, if the security situation requires.

AGERPRES