A send-off ceremony of the contingent of the ARM's 2nd Mechanised Infantry Brigade to ISAF peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan will be held Thursday at "Kuzman Josifovski-Pitu" military barracks in Tetovo.

President Gjorge Ivanov, Defence Minister Fatmir Besimi, Chief of ARM General Staff, Major-General Goranco Kotevski, Commander of 2nd Mechanised Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Metodija Velickovski and other local officials, relatives will attend the send-off ceremony.

In the course of the twelfth rotation of ISAF mission, 149 members of 2nd Mechanised Infantry Brigade together with senior national representative and two HQ officers will be deployed in ISAF HQ in Kabul.

The ARM started its participation in the largest NATO mission in Afghanistan in June 2006 when members from the 1st Mechanised Infantry Brigade were deployed in the first company rotation, and this was followed by rotations of their colleagues from the 2nd Mechanised Infantry Brigade.

Macedonian peacekeepers, under the command of British Army, will take part in providing security to the ISAF command in Kabul.

For their spotless and professional conduct and execution of the assignments, demonstrated compatibility and interoperability with the Alliance forces within ISAF, the ARM members have received the highest grades by the ISAF command staff and other senior command structures in the Alliance and hence enjoy a high rating.