First group of multi-ethnic police officers graduates in Serbia
(ZOOM PRESS)Graduation ceremony for the first group of multi-ethnic police
officers that attended the 12-week basic training course jointly
organized by the OSCE and Serbian Interior Ministry, Mitrovo
Polje,
17 October 2001. (ZOOM PRESS) Photo details
MITROVO POLJE, 19 October 2001 (OSCE) - The first group of OSCE-trained multi-ethnic police officers received this week their graduation papers in Mitrovo Polje, Serbia.
The 97 police officers, 34 Serbs and 63 ethnic Albanians that will go on duty together in southern Serbia, started their training course 12 weeks ago. Their graduation ceremony was attended, among others, by the OSCE Secretary General, Jan Kubis, the Serbian Minister of Interior, Dusan Mihajlovic, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Stefano Sannino.
In his opening address, Mr. Kubis stressed the importance of this police training for the restoration of trust and confidence of members of different minorities in southern Serbia. "This generation of police officers represents a whole new generation in the country. The authorities have set themselves as one of their main objectives the democratic reform of the police forces. The international community and particularly the OSCE will support this objective", he said.
Mr. Mihajlovic underlined in his opening statement that the police training course was an important element in the process of preparing the his country for the European Union and other European institutions.
The ceremony concluded with a "demonstration of skills" by the new police graduates, during which they demonstrated what they had learnt in the course, including how to deal with domestic violence and how to halt vehicles with individuals under suspect.
The 97 police officers, 34 Serbs and 63 ethnic Albanians that will go on duty together in southern Serbia, started their training course 12 weeks ago. Their graduation ceremony was attended, among others, by the OSCE Secretary General, Jan Kubis, the Serbian Minister of Interior, Dusan Mihajlovic, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Stefano Sannino.
In his opening address, Mr. Kubis stressed the importance of this police training for the restoration of trust and confidence of members of different minorities in southern Serbia. "This generation of police officers represents a whole new generation in the country. The authorities have set themselves as one of their main objectives the democratic reform of the police forces. The international community and particularly the OSCE will support this objective", he said.
Mr. Mihajlovic underlined in his opening statement that the police training course was an important element in the process of preparing the his country for the European Union and other European institutions.
The ceremony concluded with a "demonstration of skills" by the new police graduates, during which they demonstrated what they had learnt in the course, including how to deal with domestic violence and how to halt vehicles with individuals under suspect.