19 Moldovan soldiers to attend EUFOR ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chisinau, Sep 30 /MOLDPRES/- 19 Moldovan soldiers will participate in the European Union operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina - EUFOR ALTHEA. The deployment ceremony took place on September 30 in Balti.

The ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii, Romanian Ambassador Cristian-Leon Turcanu and MP Boris Marcoci. The soldiers were blessed by a priest in their peace mission.

The defense chief noted that the deployment is a new chapter in the history of the army. "This mission shows that our servicemen have a higher level of training. In the next six months they will be messengers of the Republic of Moldova and will contribute to maintaining peace and security in the region," he said.

He thanked the partners, in particular Romania for the support in the preparation and training servicemen.

Marcoci congratulated the soldiers and said that after the mission, which is a historic one, they will return with experience which they will pass on to their colleagues. He added that the new mission will increase the degree of interoperability of the National Army.

Cristian-Leon Țurcanu said that EUFOR ALTHEA is the first mission in which Moldovan soldiers will participate as part of the Romanian military contingent and will perform peace support and patrol missions in the area of operations. "Today the Republic of Moldova comes to demonstrate that it is a provider of peace and security in the region," the diplomat concluded.

The EUFOR ALTHEA mission will start on October 1, 2024 and will last for 12 months. Logistics will be provided by the Romanian contingent.

The European Union's EUFOR ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina was established in 2004 and its mission is to maintain a secure and stable environment, cooperating fully with the country's armed forces and civilian authorities. Currently, 22 countries are present in EUFOR ALTHEA.