On 8 and 9 February 2024, the EU Civilian Operations Commander and Managing Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC), Stefano Tomat, visited the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), the largest EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) civilian mission.

On the first day, Tomat was welcomed by the Head of EULEX, Giovanni Pietro Barbano, at the Mission Headquarters in Pristina, where he met with EULEX senior staff and received a briefing on the latest developments related to the implementation of the Mission’s mandate.

After the meeting, Tomat joined Barbano in the official inauguration of the new EULEX Headquarters. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Head of the EU Office in Kosovo /EU Special Representative, Tomáš Szunyog, the Ambassador of France, Olivier Guérot, the Ambassador of Italy, Antonello de Riu, the Ambassador of Japan, Ryuta Mizuuchi, representatives of international organizations in Kosovo and other distinguished guests.

Later in the morning, the Civilian Operations Commander participated in the ceremony for 24 Italian Carabinieri, 20 Lithuanian Public Security Officers and five gendarmes of the French National Gendarmerie serving in the EULEX Reserve Formed Police Unit (RFPU), who received the CSDP service medal awarded by the EU High Representative.

After the ceremony, Tomat visited Mitrovica North and he then moved to the EULEX Centre Mitrovica, where he received an in-depth briefing on the current security situation in Kosovo and observed a display and exercise of the EULEX Formed Police Unit.