Dutch take over Macedonia mission

The Netherlands has taken over from Germany as leader of Nato's security mission in Macedonia.

The switch in command was marked by a ceremony at the Bunardzik military base, outside the capital, Skopje.

The leading representative of Nato in Macedonia, General Frederico Carretero of Spain, stressed the alliance's continued commitment to supporting Macedonia.

Nato troops were deployed in the country after the end of an ethnic-Albanian insurrection last year.

Correspondents say that the situation in Macedonia remains tense, especially with long-delayed elections due to be held in September.

It is the first time the Dutch will command a major peacekeeping mission.

Earlier this year, an official report severely criticised the Dutch government for its role in the failed UN peacekeeping operation in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1995, but a BBC correspondent in The Hague says confidence in Dutch troops has improved since then.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service