Albania sends mine-clearing contingent to Bosnia

TIRANA, Oct. 6 – A contingent of ten Albanian soldiers trained as mine-clearers headed to Bosnia and Herzegovina Monday to help locate and destroy mines remaining from the conflict there.
“You are part of the 6th contingent that will help, as a NATO member, a friendly country that cannot walk safely on its land,” Deputy Defense Minister Arjan Starova said at the departure ceremony.
The first Albanian contingent within the ALTHEA mission in Bosnia started operating in April 2008, 12 years after the first Albanian troops were sent to the country.
“The participation of our contingent in Bosnia-Herzegovina is another indication of rapid and continuous increase of our capacity, but also of the military cooperation within the European Union, clearly showing the skills of our country toward a more rapid integration into the European family. The valuable experience you have gained for more than ten years in this dangerous, but also noble and human process, the high commitment and professionalism you have shown, will convince even the most skeptical individual, that you will realize another successful mission, another distinguished representation of our the Armed Forces, and Albania. The present stage requires fully integrating and adapting our professional capabilities and logistical requirements of this time,” said Starova.
This is the first abroad mission where Albanian military command operates independent under the Albanian flag, and in complete logistic independence, too.
The high official said that Albania is in an important stage of the elimination of dangerous munitions within the country, a major priority for the ministry and the Armed Forces Institutes, which aim at the end of this year to dismantle the dangerous ammunition by using all methods, and at the end of 2013 to have freed Albania from the surplus ammunition.
“Your invaluable contribution for the liberation of the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina from surplus ammunition is another indicator of Albania’s contribution for the security in the region, but also a further guarantee to fulfill successfully the destruction of ammunition in Albania, and give our contribution within NATO.”
Albania and its armed forces are showing more and more not only high professional levels and achieved interactive capability, but also are proving to be an indispensable factor for regional security and stability and even further.
AME Center was established in March 1999 as a necessity for cleaning contaminated areas with ammunition during the outbreak of military ammunition depots, and for the destruction of old additional munitions from the restructuring of the Armed Forces. Ammunition and Explosives Destruction Center (AME) for more than 10 years has participated in the cleansing of contaminated regions form ammunition, in the country and abroad. For the qualification of personnel, for the completion with modern equipment, many allied countries have contributed, including Italy, Canada, the UK and in particular the United States. In the first five missions 48 military of AME Center were engaged in Mission “ALTHEA” in Bosnia-Herzegovina.