President of the Republic of Slovenia and Governor General of Canada address Slovenian troops

Ljubljana, 22.10.2009  |  press release

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, and the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, visited the 1st brigade of the Slovenian Armed Forces. In his address to the members of the Slovenian Armed Forces, the President of Slovenia and Commander-in-Chief of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Dr Danilo Türk, said that Slovenia and Canada are both members of the NATO Alliance and United Nations, and both dedicated to maintaining international peace and security as one of the most important tasks at the global level. To this end, the participation of members of the armed forces in peacekeeping operations is of crucial importance; in this respect, Slovenia has already established itself as a trusted partner.

The President emphasised the importance of building partnerships with other countries, among which Canada occupies a special place as the country with the richest tradition in the field of peacekeeping operations. He recalled the cooperation of both countries in a number of locations, mainly in Afghanistan. He stressed that the concern for ensuring security in Afghanistan was an important task aimed at establishing conditions for the stability of the country and legitimate state authorities, as well as conditions ensuring the Afghan people a peaceful life and a good future.

The members of the Slovenian Armed Forces were also addressed by the Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean. As supreme commander of the Canadian Forces, she expressed her thanks for the significant contribution of the Slovenian troops that cooperated with Canada in Afghanistan. She pointed out that their fight was for Afghans to live their lives without oppression. Hence, they defended the idea of a fairer society in which all individuals enjoy the same rights and possibilities for a decent life. She stressed that the Slovenian troops carried out their tasks in the same spirit of solidarity, with the same feeling of duty and with the same dedication as the Canadian troops, for which she thanked them and their families.

The President and the Governor General also visited the Institute for Rehabilitation of the Republic of Slovenia to meet Palestinian children, the victims of recent clashes in the Gaza Strip, who had suffered serious physical injuries and disability. The representative of the Institute outlined the rehabilitation procedure, which will help children increase their physical mobility, thus enabling them to take care of themselves more easily and live normal lives as much as possible.