Of the 20 nations that contribute to the make-up of EUFOR troops based at Camp Butmir, it was the first time this year that forces from Hungary and Turkey have combined to patrol together. The Turkish Liaison and Observation Team (LOT) base themselves in Livno, 100km west of Sarajevo and were pleased to host their Hungarian colleagues for the routine patrol.

EUFOR has a network of 17 separate LOT Houses, permanently manned by various nations, located right across BiH. These LOT’s provide a direct link to the community, local authorities and regional leaders and are an excellent way to stay in touch and engage daily with EUFOR teams. COVID-19 restrictions have made it difficult to integrate fully into the local communities over the past few months so getting back to talking to local residents has been welcomed.

The combined Hungarian and Turkish patrol met up with local police and border patrol services to renew the communication links as well as engaging with the local population. Prior to COVID-19 restraints, the LOT teams also delivered Mine Readiness Education to schools and social clubs that regularly use the countryside. Last year, EUFOR delivered 680 mine education sessions which reached 20,000 people within BiH.