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The President of the Republic received the Badge of Honour of the Peace Operations Center
31.01.2001

President Lennart Meri received representatives of the Peace Operations Center – Captain Aivar Jaeski, Commander of the Center, and Lieutenant Peeter Mitt, Commander of the Staff, as well as Warrant Officer Erik Hajesk, Chairman of the assembly of non-commissioned officers, who conferred the Badge of Honour No. 001 of the Peace Operations Center on the President of the Republic, in Kadriorg today.

As Captain Jaeski said, the unit had decided to confer the Badge of Honour on the President of the Republic in recognition of his services to the re-establishment of Estonia's place on the map of the world, as the peacekeepers have the same task when conducting peace operations in Lebanon, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and the Middle East, as well as in the Baltbat, and on dozens of international exercises. He added that the unit is greatly honoured by the President's decision to accept the Badge of Honour No. 001.

Captain Jaeski thanked the President for his interest in the activities of the Peace Operations Center, and for his visits to the peacekeepers that have motivated the soldiers and added to their self-assurance. The proposal to decorate the President of the Republic had come from the NCOs of the Peacekeeping Operations Center, and as Captain Jaeski said, it is the NCOs who know best what the soldiers think and what they consider important.

Captain Jaeski also reported to the President on the new tasks of the Peace Operations Center. The first tasks imposed on the Center by the Baltbat project have been fulfilled, and now the unit is facing a new challenge – the building up of the national rapid reaction battalion, the Estbat for the year 2005. One of the unit's great accomplishments was the platoon sent to the mission on December 17 last year; the platoon received its entire training before the mission in the Peace Operations Center, under the supervision of the Center's instructors, which proves the trust of our Western partners. Captain Jaeski also mentioned the third task – full participation in the training of the reserve, or the conscripts.

The President thanked the members of the defence forces and reiterated that his visits to the participants of peace operations so far have confirmed their excellence and bravery.
Captain Aivar Jaeski, president Lennart Meri Left: Lieutenant Peeter Mitt, Commander of the Staff, Captain Aivar Jaeski, Commander of the Center, president Lennart Meri, Warrant Officer Erik Hajesk, Chairman of the assembly of non-commissioned officersPresident Lennart Meri



Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, January 31, 2001

 

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