Summary: July 25, 2005: Signature of an agreement on Chile's participation in Operation ALTHEA (Brussels)
Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and Alberto VAN KLAVEREN, the Chilean Ambassador to the EU, signed an agreement in Brussels on Monday, 25 July 2005 on the participation of the Republic of Chile in the EU Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Operation ALTHEA is the first EU military operation in which Chile takes part. Apart from the Argentine Republic, Chile is the only South American country to participate in this operation. Chile took part in SFOR, from which ALTHEA took over in December 2004, and has since been participating in ALTHEA.
The EU Council adopted the decision to launch Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on 25 November 2004. That decision followed the unanimous adoption on 22 November 2004 of UN Security Council Resolution 1575 and enabled the EU to launch Operation Althea on 2 December 2004. NATO decided to conclude its SFOR operation by the end of 2004.
Operation Althea is the largest ever launched by the EU, with 7,000 troops from 22 EU Member States and 11 third countries. It adds significantly to the EU's political engagement, its assistance programmes and its ongoing police and monitoring missions with a view to helping BiH make further progress towards European integration in the context of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
The EU force (EUFOR) has the main peace stabilisation role under the military aspects of the Paris/Dayton General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH. The force also provides support, within means and capabilities, to the efforts of the High Representative Lord Paddy Ashdown and of the international community, in fields such as the fight against organised crime and the implementation of the civilian aspects of the Peace Agreement.
General Sir John Reith, Deputy SACEUR, is Operation Commander and Major-General David Leakey is EUFOR Force Commander for Operation ALTHEA.
More information is available on the EUFOR-ALTHEA web site http://www.euforbih.org
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