NEW COMMANDER FOR THE JOINT REGIONAL DETACHMENT CENTER

Pristina, 6th of September 2016. COM KFOR, Major General Giovanni Fungo, attended this morning the ceremony for the change of Command of the JRD-C between the outgoing Commander, Colonel Massimo Mela and the incoming one Colonel Francesco Randacio, former Chief of Staff of Military Academy in Modena.

"JRDs and LMTs – COMKFOR said – carry our an important task for KFOR because they concur to know the Kosovar society through the development of relations and dialogue with major and local institutions and to increase day by day the credibility of KFOR. COMFOR expressed his appreciation for the performance of the Colonel Mela and wished the new Commander to continue on the path traced by his predecessor.

Looking back to his period in Kosovo Colonel Mela stated that - We were asked to play a very sensitive role throughout the mission not only as very professional soldiers but also as real ambassadors of KFOR in Kosovo. In this respect we managed to keep excellent relationships with a large part of population and all local stakeholders enhancing, in our counterparts, KFOR mutual trust and confidence perfectly tuned with our current motto "TRUST AND COMMITMENT”. The colonel Mela in Italy will be assigned as Chief of Staff of the anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade in Sabaudia (LT).

JRD-C has to provide to COM KFOR situational awareness in the area of responsibility which includes 13 Municipalities, contribute to the maintenance of a Safe and Secure Environment and Freedom of Movement, monitoring and early identifying security, socio-economic and political situations.

JRD-C manages and deals with overt information, gathers and liaises with regional and local authorities, population and international organizations Kosovo wide in order to "feel the pulse of Kosovo”.