On Tuesday 5 December, members of the Military Diplomatic Corps from over 18 countries gathered at EUFOR Headquarters at the invitation of Commander EUFOR Major General Anton WALDNER to receive a EUFOR Operation Althea update.
Group photo of attendees at briefing day for Military Diplomatic Corps at EUFOR Headquarters
EUFOR is the ongoing European Union's commitment to ensuring a safe and secure environment in BiH, and in particular supporting BiH efforts in this regard. The last few months have seen significant progress in the capability and interoperability of the Armed Forces of BiH working alongside international forces and other security agencies. Recently, Exercise 'Quick Response 17'gave EUFOR the opportunity to train its Multinational Battalion, its Intermediate Reserve Forces and partner agencies from BiH all together as part of EUFOR's comprehensive approach towards maintenance of a safe and secure environment in the country.
Commander EUFOR Major General WALDNER highlighted the progress of this training in his speech. He said: "'Quick Response 2017' in late October was the first EUFOR-led exercise which saw the participation of the Law Enforcement Agencies of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the strategic level to the tactical."
Commander EUFOR and the expert panel of speakers
The guests were also briefed by senior EUFOR staff on the key areas of EUFOR's Operation Althea. Subject matter experts gave presentations on the Capacity Building and Training of Armed Forces of BiH, the Ammunition, Weapons and Explosives disposal plans, the EUFOR Strategic Review and the Mine Action System in BiH. All these elements are part of the comprehensive approach towards BiH's accession to the EU.
The day of briefings concluded with discussions and the opportunity for delegates to ask questions of EUFOR's subject matter experts.
