Today in Celje the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, attended the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the 20th Motorised Battalion of the Slovenian Armed Forces. It was exactly fifteen years ago that the PM, who was at that time defence minister, handed over the keys to the commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion of the 82th Brigade, Major Vojteh Mihevc, and the Celje Barracks were opened by the then Commander of the Territorial Defence, Janez Slapar.

 

(Photo: Primož Lavre/ Salomon 2000)

 

The PM took the occasion to stress that in these fifteen years Slovenia has moved forward, and with it the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF), and achieved considerable progress. According to Mr Janša, the SAF is a highly trained professional army, capable of defending its homeland and providing security. "Peace is a lasting good, and as such it must be preserved; we need to cooperate with each other and share the responsibility of us all," said the PM.

 

Mr Janša also stressed that Slovenia has been allocating considerable funds to the SAF, which are needed to protect the lives of Slovenian soldiers and provide for their equipment on missions at home and abroad. He added that a new draft act on employment in the SAF has been submitted to the National Assembly, which, when passed, will improve working conditions and coordinate soldiers' salaries with regard to other professions. "The soldiers' work is no ordinary job that begins in the morning and ends after eight hours. This is a service to the homeland, and it is not without risk," said the PM.

 

Mr Janša also congratulated all members of the SAF on the Independence Day, asking that they be proud of their tradition and successfully serve their homeland. "Without you and the police force, we would not be celebrating Slovenia's statehood," stressed the PM.

 

In the last fifteen years, the 20th Motorised Battalion of the SAF has successfully performed many demanding tasks, and taken part in a number of military exercises both at home and abroad. In 2006 it also increased its role in crisis response operations, having deployed 488 of its members on these missions in the last two years.