Vucic: Serbian peacekeepers demonstrated how int'l law, peace should be safeguarded

BELGRADE - At a reception for Serbian Armed Forces troops that have been deployed to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday they were another example of how international law and peace should be safeguarded.

"And how the lives of other people should be safeguarded in an extremely professional and exceptionally responsible manner," Vucic said at the Presidency of Serbia.

The troops were deployed to the UN mission in Lebanon for eight months.

"Whenever the UN was the peacekeeper, Serbia was always ready to contribute to such peace," Vucic noted.

In line with a UN decision and corresponding UN Security Council and UN General Assembly resolutions, Serbia has accepted to take part in the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, Vucic said.

"Our boys and girls were in Sector West, where, alongside Italian units, we took part in protection of facilities. The conditions were very difficult, especially from the moment the declared, and undeclared, state of war began in the Middle East," he said.

"They are extremely brave women and men who represented the interests of peace in a very dignified manner, and also represented our country. When I spoke to (Italian Defence Minister) Guido Crosetto, whenever I would speak with (Italian PM) Giorgia Meloni, with everyone, they would always praise the Serbian troops and their involvement in the UNIFIL mission, and they requested even more Serbian troops," Vucic also said.