The Ambassador of the US to BiH Patrick Moon handed out yesterday at Camp Butmir keys to three vehicles worth around 200.000 KM to the BiH Minister of Defense Zekerijah Osmić, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces and Commander of the Training Center for Peace Support Operations (PSOTC) Jasmin Čajić. These vehicles were donated by the US government.
Ambassador Moon said during the ceremony that the US government supports the good results of this center, which, from its establishment until today, has the reputation of being the best in the region when it comes to peace operations.
“The donation is to help the Center to provide a key contribution to the further professionalization of the BiH Armed Forces in order to become what we believe it to be, a superbly trained, capable armed force that meet and exceeds the standards of NATO and which is ready to provide an important contribution to international security worldwide’’, said the American Ambassador.
Minister of Defense Osmić expressed gratitude for the donation that will help the PSOTC improve training, noting that the high standards that his Center has is a guideline for the BiH Armed Forces as a whole.
“The valuable donation is proof that the US government, through its Office for Defense Cooperation, recognized the importance of PSOTC in the development of the defense capacity of BIH and its necessity for raising the quality of training to a higher level’’, said Osmić.
The Commander of PSOTC Čajić thanked for the donation that was realized through the US Office for Defense Cooperation and for the donation in the form of information-communication equipment, which will be presented in a few days and enable better operability and performance of the Center.
“In addition to today’s donation, all previous donations of the US to this Center amounts to around 2 million US dollars’’, added Brigadier Čajić.
The military attaché of the US Embassy Scott Miller said that the US government recognized the high quality courses and training that the PSOTC offers to the BiH Armed Forces, and to partner countries in the region and that today’s donation highlights the partnership between the US and BiH.
Recalling earlier projects that were realized by the current Colonel Miller, he said that the US and other allies, NATO and EUFOR remain partners to the BiH Ministry of Defense in upgrading the potential of PSOTC for the establishment of this institution that trains professionals and responsible members of the peacekeeping operation in the world.
The donation of the US government to PSOTC consists of two Ford vans and a Volvo off-road vehicle.
(Source: Fena)
