KARAN: WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTRIBUTING TO WORLD PEACE

BANJA LUKA, MAY 29 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska and the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) are committed to contributing to global peace and cooperation in the fields of security and assistance, which is why MOI officers are actively engaged in various missions across about ten countries, said Minister of the Interior Siniša Karan.

"The main task and primary goal of our officers in these missions is twofold. First and foremost, they serve the general purpose of peacekeeping missions by assisting civilians most affected in such situations. On the other hand, through training, they help build the capacity of local police and security forces so they can operate independently," Karan told reporters in Banja Luka.

He noted that more than 100 MOI officers have participated in various missions to date.

At a reception for MOI police officers who participated in UN peacekeeping missions, Karan emphasized that they have promoted the strength and values of both the Ministry and Republika Srpska in the best possible way.

"We have received excellent reports and praise regarding their professionalism and the way they performed their duties," Karan said.

He suggested to the Ministry of Security in the Council of Ministers, as the contact point for UN peacekeeping missions, that everything should be done to ensure that the certification of BiH teams is once again conducted domestically, rather than in Hungary.

Karan extended congratulations on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers to all those involved in peacekeeping missions and expressed particular reverence for those who lost their lives performing these difficult and demanding tasks.

Mersiha Husaković, an officer from the Doboj Police Administration who participated three times in peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and Cyprus, thanked the Srpska MOI for the trust and the opportunity to take part in missions, describing them as invaluable professional and personal experiences.

"My roles included community policing and working with the local police, where I focused on empowering female police officers in police stations," Husaković said.

She added that their work beyond the borders of BiH shows that the police of Republika Srpska possess the ability, knowledge, and integrity to be part of the global peacekeeping effort.

Her colleague from the Banja Luka Police Administration, Aleksandar Pejinović, who also served in missions in Cyprus and South Sudan, said that MOI officers are top professionals ready to respond to any task.

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers, marked on May 29 around the world, is observed to honor all men and women who have served and are serving in UN peacekeeping missions for their high level of professionalism, dedication, and courage, as well as to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in the service of peace.

To date, more than a hundred MOI officers from Republika Srpska have participated in UN peacekeeping missions in East Timor, Liberia, Cyprus, Sudan, South Sudan, DR Congo, Brindisi, and Guinea-Bissau, in regular, semi-professional, and professional positions.