At today's ceremony on the occasion of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) Day, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, stressed that since its formation the army has managed to retain one of the core principles in the value system – honour.

 

(Photo: Nebojša Tejić/Salomon 2000)

 

The PM also emphasised that after the war for independence, the SAF faced demanding tasks with regard to protecting and strengthening Slovenia's statehood, and hard work when introducing NATO standards and other international commitments.

 

"The job of a soldier is not a usual job, but hard and demanding work, where every individual has to face great risks," said the PM, adding that this work has not been rewarded and paid sufficiently. Mr Janša also stressed the improvements introduced by the new Slovenian Armed Forces Act.

 

Today Slovenia is one of the top NATO countries in terms of the ratio between participation in peacekeeping missions and the number of inhabitants: today's holiday is celebrated by over 700 troops abroad, concluded the PM.