MULTINATIONAL SPECIALIZED UNIT CHANGE OF COMMAND

Pristina/Prishtinë, 11th February 2015 - Today KFOR Commander, Major General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, presided over the change of command ceremony in the "MSU Camp” to mark the handover of command within KFOR Multinational Specialized Unit.

The event that marked the transfer of authority between the outgoing Colonel Gregorio De Marco, and the incoming Colonel Francesco Maria Chiaravalloti, was attended by the Italian Ambassador to Kosovo Andreas Ferrarese, the Head of UNMIK Farid Zarif, many military officials representing KFOR contributing nations and others religious and political local authorities.

KFOR Commander commended the Italian Carabinieri for the positive accomplishments achieved during the last period, remarking on the high level of effectiveness and the outstanding performance of this Unit, that contributed to ensure a safe and secure environment in the area of Mitrovica.

General Figliuolo thanked Colonel De Marco for his high professionalism, and commitment to the mission of KFOR, and he welcomed the new Commander wishing him all the best for future MSU activities.

As General Figliuolo said: "Gregorio, you and your soldiers have played an important role here in Kosovo. You have not only maintained daily operations and patrolling in Mitrovica North, you and your troops have conducted Civil Military projects to help the people. You fulfilled your highly demanding mission with conviction and an always-ready attitude. Your personal commitment allowed you to expand the effectiveness of Multinational Specialized Unit within your Area of Responsibility and thereby contributed greatly to the success of KFOR”.

The MSU is a KFOR unit entirely composed of Italian Carabinieri, who work in support of KFOR mandate according to United Nations Security Council resolution 1244.