To honour the outgoing Commander of EUFOR, Major General Martin Dorfer, the EU Operation Commander, Operation Althea, Lieutenant General Olivier Rittimann and the Head of the EUCE, Lieutenant General Luciano Portolano, visited EUFOR at Camp Butmir, on Wednesday 26 June.

The two visiting Generals were met with an ‘Honour Guard’ consisting of key EUFOR staff including the Chief of Staff, Brigadier General László Szabó. Major General Martin Dorfer then held a meeting with them, where they discussed the EUFOR’s mission, the imminent change of command and a variety of military and political issues.

After the meeting the two Generals attended the change of command ceremony. Lieutenant General Rittimann, who oversees the EUFOR mission in BiH, symbolically handed over the EU EUFOR flag between Major General Dorfer and his replacement, Major General Trischak, before giving a speech to the parade.

Lieutenant General Rittimann said: “Operation Althea, and EUFOR within it, is an integral, indeed vital part of the overall EU strategy for BiH and stands as a demonstration of the EU’s commitment to this country.” He added, “EUFOR is set on a solid track. We now need to consolidate our position and that is the task I will rely on Major General Trischak to do, making progress as Major General Dorfer did, maintaining the direction of travel and increasing the speed of delivery”