2023-10-20 05:01:36
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner opened the “Blue Helmets Forum”
Vienna (OTS) – Yesterday, Thursday, October 19, 2023, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner opened the “Blue Helmet Forum” of the “Association of Austrian Peacekeepers” at the National Defense Academy in Vienna. Past and current foreign missions of the Federal Army in the various crisis regions of the world were discussed. Civilian and military experts not only exchanged their experiences in the area of military conflict resolution, but also discussed future threat scenarios to global peace and possible solutions with the support of Austrian expertise.
“According to the current government program, Austria is committed to actively participating in overcoming crises and securing peace in international peace operations in order to meet the new challenges of the 21st century. This means that, in addition to the main task of national military defense, participation in international peacekeeping operations is also a significant priority for the Federal Army,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
Since 1960, over 100,000 women and men have been on over 100 different missions abroad: under the care of the UN, and increasingly also the EU, NATO, the OSCE or other organizations. At the beginning of the 1990s, foreign missions were undoubtedly one of the main tasks of the Federal Army. This increased importance of foreign missions had an impact on military organization and training in many areas.
The “Association of Austrian Peacekeepers” is the association of Austrian soldiers who have served for Austria in various foreign missions. Today, around 1,700 soldiers from the military presence, the militia and the reserve are members of the “Partner of the Armed Forces”. The association has been organizing the annual “Blue Helmets Forum” since 2005. This is a forum for meetings and the exchange of information between actors in international missions and scientists. The range of topics is broad – it ranges from dealing with current aspects of international missions, to specific questions such as the role of women in these missions, to the protection of cultural assets. At today’s event, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner was made an honorary member of the “Peacekeepers”.
Questions & Contact:
Federal Ministry of National Defense
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