Pristina - KFOR Commander, Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia, presided over the Transfer of Authority of the Deputy Commander of KFOR, Brigadier General Luca Piperni to the incoming DCOM, Brigadier General Jozsef Szpisjak, from Hungarian Army.
The ceremony was attended by international and local authorities and personnel of all the KFOR units.
The Italian BG PIPERNI stressed the achievements reached during this year of intense work: “In a certain way, I held the best position in the Command Group because the DCOM is the one visiting all the units to assess their level of training and compliance with KFOR procedures. In doing that, I had also the opportunity to visit all the municipalities and to appreciate the beauty of Kosovo.” He went on to say: “In this moment, I have mixed feelings: on one hand, the inner satisfaction to have done my best to honor my Country and to contribute to the NATO effort in the Western Balkans; on the other hand, there is always sadness when we have to leave so many professional colleagues and – let me add – so many friends.”
Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia thanked General Piperni for his commitment, dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism with which he has carried out this prestigious task, emphasizing the progress achieved after a long period characterized by the heavy constraints imposed by the pandemic, while wishing General Szpisjak continued along the path he had set out to achieve ever more ambitious goals.
KFOR, added the Commander, is fully focused on the daily implementation of its mandate – based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all the people in Kosovo. Major General Ristuccia stressed that KFOR is fully prepared and postured to address any security development, in line with its UN mandate. KFOR’s impartiality is key to mission success, it is closely coordinated with the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and continues to provide the security framework for political negotiations in the EU-facilitated Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Major General Ristuccia concluded.