More Slovak soldiers to depart for Cyprus

Preparations for a new contingent of Slovak soldiers to depart for Cyprus wrapped up with a ceremonial parade at the building of the Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade in Nitra on Friday.

"A unit of 86 members is departing for Cyprus to supervise a peaceful situation, to keep tabs on farmers, to resolve disputes and to negotiate between the alienated sides, as the mission's mandate states," stated the leader of the current tour of duty unit Miroslav Belansky.

Under the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus mission, the soldiers will supervise the truce between the Turkish and Greek communities on the island. Deputy Commander of the Slovak Air Force Colonel Vladimir Kovac emphasized that this was one of the United Nations' oldest missions, which has been in constant operation since 1964.

"The role and goal of the mission is to maintain the status quo within the buffer zone, to keep the peace between enemies and to contribute to the restoration and preservation of law and peace on the island, including humanitarian assistance," noted Kovac.

Slovak soldiers have been present on Cyprus since 2001, with a total of more than 30 tours of duty involving over 2,500 soldiers.

Source: XINHUA