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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Increase in number of Serbian peacekeepers in Haiti under consideration

Belgrade, 9 July 2010

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic confirmed today that the police are considering the possibility of increasing the number of Serbian staff in the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti from the present five to somewhere between 20 and 25.

After a meeting with members of the police force who are working with the UN mission in Haiti, Dacic emphasised that members of the Gendarmerie would be part of the Italian unit, adding that the option of sending an independent unit of 120 members is also being examined.

The Serbian police wish to take part in EU missions as well, but it is necessary to sign an agreement with the European Commission in order to do so, he remarked.

These are not military missions. They are police missions and members of the police force do not need parliamentary approval for participation, which would be necessary in the case of the Serbian Army, Dacic explained.

Dacic stressed that participation in these missions is voluntary and lasts one year, recalling that Serbian police officers are currently engaged in peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Ivory Coast.

He noted that five police officers who returned from Haiti worked under extremely stressful conditions after the devastating earthquake and in this way helped to boost the image of the Ministry of the Interior and Serbia.

Commander of the first group of the Serbian contingent in the peace mission in Haiti Biljana Lazarevic presented the Minister with a plaque and on behalf of her team voiced her gratitude for Serbia’s help after the earthquake in which over 60 members of the peacekeeping troops died.

New team leader Aleksandar Pavlovic affirmed that everyone in the new team underwent quality training and was provided with the necessary information from their colleagues about what they may expect in Haiti.