SARAJEVO, Bosnia, (December 5,2007) – Spanish Major General Ignacio Martin Villalain took over the command of the European Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR).
"We will keep the capacities that enable us to deploy out forces wherever it is necessary and to quickly respond to any threat to peace," Villalain said at a take-over ceremony in the EUFOR base in Butmir near the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.
General Villalain, 60-year-old, replaced German Rear Admiral Hans-Jochen Witthauer, who performed this duty for one year.
EUFOR, which took over from NATO-led peacekeepers in 2004, was reduced to 2,500 troops from 6,000 at the beginning of this year due to improved security in Bosnia.Germany has one of the largest contingents with 340 troops.
In the 12 years that Germany has been involved in peacekeeping in Bosnia, some 76,000 German soldiers have served there.
The German Defence Ministry estimates the cost of Germany's involvement at 1.7 billion Euros (2.5 billion US Dollars).
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
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