You are Poland's calling card abroad, Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said on Wednesday to Polish soldiers serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the European Union peacekeeping mission, EUFOR ALTHEA.
Meeting the mission's Polish contingent stationed in Sarajevo, the defence minister said: "you are Poland's ambassadors beyond its borders, you are Poland's calling card." He added that thanks to such efforts Poland is seen abroad as a country "which can help others."
Referring to his earlier meeting with EUFOR's chief of staff, Brigadier General Gabor Horvath, Błaszczak added: "I heard the best possible assessment of your service, your commitment, your professionalism." The conversation, he explained, focused on such issues as "an appraisal of the situation, which is not easy," but keeps improving on a yearly basis, also thanks to the efforts of the Poles.
The defence minister thanked the soldiers for their service and commitment, noting the contingent has been stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina for more than 25 years. He also wished the troops all the best ahead of next week's Polish Army Day and handed them medals "of merit for national defence."
Later in the day, the defence minister was scheduled to visit the Polish contingent in the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, as well as meet the mission commander, General Salvatore Cuoci, and policemen from the EU's rule-of-law mission there, EULEX.
Poland's EUFOR contingent provides training, advice and humanitarian aid. It numbers 39 soldiers and is stationed in three Bosnian cities - Sarajevo, Doboj and Banja Luka. The Polish unit of KFOR in Kosovo, meanwhile, is tasked with stabilising the situation and comprises of 248 career soldiers and 14 military personnel.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International, PAP