President visits Slovak troops serving in the UNDOF Mission on the Golan Heights

On 18 December 2008, Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič visited Slovak troops serving in the UNDOF mission on the Golan Heights. In line with a government decision, Slovak troops will be leaving the zone in June 2008. “The UNDOF mission has been deployed here for more than 30 years and these troops are viewed as a positive force by the Syrian people” said UNDOF Commander Wolfgang Jilke.

Speaking to the troops, President Ivan Gašparovič highlighted the contribution of UNDOF forces “whose activities help stabilise the security situation in the region and maintain the truce between the parties involved in the conflict. Events in recent months have demonstrated the importance of the UNDOF presence in the region.” The President further praised the fact that despite the harsh climatic conditions, Slovak troops have fulfilled all of their tasks responsibly and professionally throughout the decade of their UNDOF deployment. Since May 1998, some 1,020 members of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic have been deployed under the UNDOF peace-keeping mission.

As the Commander-in-Chief of Slovakia’s Armed Forces, President acknowledged the conscientious though dangerous work our troops have performed in order to help keep peace on the Golan Heights.

During his visit to the region Ivan Gašparovič held a working meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The two presidents discussed issues related to the peace process in the Middle East. Ivan Gašparovič believes it is extremely necessary to seek consensus in a peaceful way and considers the presence of the UN peace-keeping forces to be a guarantee of stability in this crisis region.

During the meeting, the Slovak President noted that Slovakia was now a full member of the EU, NATO, United Nations and other renowned international institutions and that Slovakia currently holds the presidency of the Council of Europe.

He declared that Slovakia wishes to see the Middle East peace process continue. The two presidents agreed on the necessity of fighting global terrorism, which is the greatest threat facing the world.