The president has appointed three new generals, including cosmonaut Bella – PRAVDA.sk

On Tuesday, the President of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Čaputová, appointed Colonels Alexander Kollárik and Slavomír Verčimák to the military rank of Brigadier General. She promoted Major General Vladimír Šimek to the rank of Lieutenant General. The former retired colonel and the first Slovak cosmonaut Ivan Bella became a retired brigadier general.

VIDEO: Ivan Bella, the only Slovak cosmonaut, is already a general.

According to the head of state, appointment and promotion is of great social significance. He sees this as a sign that the readiness of the armed forces to carry out their constitutional and legal missions is constantly improving.

As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the President thanked the soldiers not only for the professional quality of military service, but also for the wide range of assistance to citizens and support to other ministries in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. “In this context, the armed forces are constantly proving that they are a solid and reliable element of the state’s defense system, that they are an example in sacrificial work for the homeland,” Čaputová praised.

The President expects the Generals to continue to ensure the defense and security of the Slovak Republic and, if necessary, to continue to assist the population. “I also expect you to promote healthy civil-military relations in our democratic society, to spread the good name of the armed forces and to shape them according to the needs of the defense of the state and our allies. These are not small expectations, but I am convinced that you will do everything in your power to meet the legitimate expectations of the public, “said Čaputová.

VIDEO: Ivan Bella after being promoted to the rank of general.

Verčimák, on behalf of the appointed and promoted soldiers, thanked the President for her trust. He declared their readiness and determination to be where the republic would need them.