Major General Johann Luif has handed over command of the EUFOR troops in Bosnia to another officer of the Austrian Armed Forces: his successor is Major General Friedrich Schrötter. This is the fifth time that Austria has been in command of the European Union mission.
Schrötter takes over the command of around 800 soldiers from 21 countries. There are currently 208 Austrian soldiers in Bosnia and Herzegovina; from the middle of the year, the number will increase to 350 men and women. Born in Lower Austria, Major General Friedrich Schrötter was already Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the Multinational Task Force North in Bosnia from 2006 to 2007. He has been Head of the Operational Bases Group at the Ministry of Defense since 2013. Major General Johann Luif takes on the role of Military Commander of Burgenland again. Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil attended the handover of command and used the visit to gain an impression of the work of the Austrian EUFOR soldiers on site. In Sarajevo, the Minister also met Bosnian political representatives. Among other things, he held talks with Bosnian Defense Minister Marina Pendeš.
