Serbian peacekeepers left for Lebanon
Thursday, 30.6.2011 | News
Lt. Colonel Igor Scepanovic, Majors Stevan Raseta, Ivica Trajkovic and Srdjan Bulatovic and Captain Slavko Djukic have flown to Lebanon today to take part in the UN peacekeeping mission. In this Middle East country they will spend half year as operational staff officers. They will return to Serbia on December 30. Before departure they were greeted by the Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj. General Milan Bjelica.
Lt. Colonel Igor Scepanovic, Majors Stevan Raseta, Ivica Trajkovic and Srdjan Bulatovic and Captain Slavko Djukic have flown to Lebanon today to take part in the UN peacekeeping mission. In this Middle East country they will spend half year as operational staff officers. They will return to Serbia on December 30.
- This will be my third participation in UN peacekeeping missions - Previously I've been in East Timor and Liberia. I've tried to convey experiences from these missions to my colleagues, which will be departing for Lebanon with me today. On a professional side more or less we know what to expect. We will be stationed in the base "Miguel de Cervantes", where we will find a quite a strict regime of stay, and excellent conditions for both accomodation and work and for leisure activities - said Lt. Colonel Scepanovic, who will be a team leader.
The new contingent of Serbian peacekeepers in Lebanon will be welcomed by their predecessors, who will acquaint them with the tasks and help them adapt to some of the local conditions in a period of 10 days. They will return to Serbia on July 10.
- City where we will be stationed - Marjayoun, is inhabited predominantly by Orthodox Christians. However Lebanon's population is quite religiously diverse - there are Druze (a form of Islam), Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, as well as many minority groups. They all live in relative harmony, so from that side we do not expect any problems - says Lt. Colonel Scepanovic and hightlights that he and his teammates will be within Spanish contingent.
Serbian peacekeepers signed contracts in the Peacekeeping Operations Center, and before departure they were greeted by the Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj. General Milan Bjelica.
- Two officers will be responsible for logistics, one at the level of battalion and another on the level of brigade. Two officers will be on operational duties at the brigade level, and I will be in charge of civil-military cooperation. I will focus on the development of projects in this field and will closely cooperate with the local population - says Lt. Colonel Scepanovic.
United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Republic of Lebanon was established in 1978. Members of the Serbian Armed Forces participate in this mission since last December, and this is the second rotation.
- This will be my third participation in UN peacekeeping missions - Previously I've been in East Timor and Liberia. I've tried to convey experiences from these missions to my colleagues, which will be departing for Lebanon with me today. On a professional side more or less we know what to expect. We will be stationed in the base "Miguel de Cervantes", where we will find a quite a strict regime of stay, and excellent conditions for both accomodation and work and for leisure activities - said Lt. Colonel Scepanovic, who will be a team leader.
The new contingent of Serbian peacekeepers in Lebanon will be welcomed by their predecessors, who will acquaint them with the tasks and help them adapt to some of the local conditions in a period of 10 days. They will return to Serbia on July 10.
- City where we will be stationed - Marjayoun, is inhabited predominantly by Orthodox Christians. However Lebanon's population is quite religiously diverse - there are Druze (a form of Islam), Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, as well as many minority groups. They all live in relative harmony, so from that side we do not expect any problems - says Lt. Colonel Scepanovic and hightlights that he and his teammates will be within Spanish contingent.
Serbian peacekeepers signed contracts in the Peacekeeping Operations Center, and before departure they were greeted by the Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj. General Milan Bjelica.
- Two officers will be responsible for logistics, one at the level of battalion and another on the level of brigade. Two officers will be on operational duties at the brigade level, and I will be in charge of civil-military cooperation. I will focus on the development of projects in this field and will closely cooperate with the local population - says Lt. Colonel Scepanovic.
United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Republic of Lebanon was established in 1978. Members of the Serbian Armed Forces participate in this mission since last December, and this is the second rotation.
