The Deputy Chief of the General Staff at Armed Forces of Montenegro, Colonel Rajko Pesic, wished the members of the contingent successful completion of the task, noting that since the Ministry of Defence was re-established in 2006, an intensive international, neighbourhood and regional cooperation have been defined as a priority.
“Participation in missions in Afghanistan, firstly within the ISAF and now in the “Resolute Support”, the EU naval operation ATALANTA, the UN observation mission in Liberia, UNMIL and the EU training mission in Mali, represents a confirmation that we meet targets continuously and completely. Such engagement in operations with members of the armed forces of the region and the world, which we have successfully completed for sixth year, show our credibility before international partners and our commitment to complete the most complex tasks in a quality and reliable manner. We can express satisfaction that as a result of such work, we receive awards and recommendations from all relevant international addresses stating that we have met the required standards in the field of defence reform and that our armed forces are fully trained,” Colonel Pesic said.
He pointed out that members of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, who would participate in the mission “Resolute Support” within the 3rd contingent, would have a demanding and responsible task.
“Everything that you have been trained for in the past six months, you will now be able to perform in real-world conditions. The nature of Afghanistan’s is more cruel than the one in which you have practiced, but countless repetitions and exceptional results have convinced us that you will successfully implement everything that you have acquired during the training. The fact that Montenegro is expected to receive an invitation for membership in NATO during your stay in the Mission further adds to the relevance of your contingent. It imposes additional expectations and commits you to show after it that we can stand shoulder to shoulder with members of all the armed forces of the world,” the Deputy Chief of the General Staff concluded.
The send-off ceremony was attended by the contingent commanders and unit commanders of the Army Forces of Montenegro, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the military-diplomatic representatives accredited in Montenegro.
