Det er klart for årsmøte i Balkangruppen, former Yugoslavia Balkan Group. Møtet holdes på Google Meet Torsday 22. mai klokken 18.00 – 20.00. Sakslisten er omfattende med store nyheter som berører fellesskapet i gruppen.
Vi presenterer her årsrapporten som årsmøtet skal gå gjennom. Siden FYBG har ekspandert kraftig siden etableringen har vi valgt å lage årsrapporten og sakslisten på engelsk.
The Annual Report 2024/2025
Former Yugoslavia Balkan Group
The Former Yugoslavia Balkan Group is registered in the Norwegian public registers in Broenneysund under organization number 929 293 894.
The Annual Meeting for 2023/2024 was held on April 15, 2024, on Zoom.
An election was held and the result was as follows:
Chairman: Arne Gerrit Halvorsen
Vice Chairman: Jan Helge Kalvik
Secretary: Knut Flovik Thoresen
Board members: Tom Johansen and Soeren Marinus Diechman
Deputie board member: Terje Bergiton Rydeng and Kurt Andreas Skog
Accountant: Svein Arne Bjoersland
Selection committee: Erik Ennis Dokken
To day FYBG do have 72 members from 10 different nations; Great Britain (UK) Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Belgium, France, Portugal and Italy. This indicates a broad knowledge about the conflict in the Former Yugoslavia The major part of our members do have had a role in their service in the Former Yugoslavia. Some of our members have served in other missions, some in other assignments in their nation. So this homogeneous group of members will be useful for our targeted intention.
In December 2023 a letter was received from Vice Chairman Geir Asbjørnsen who decided to withdraw from the board because of medical reason.. By the Annual Meeting 2023/2024 April 11, 2024 an internal reshuffel occurre on the board of FYBG.
Jan Helge Kalvik replaced Geir Asbjørnsen as Vice Chairman, and Knut Flovik Thoresen took over as secretary after Jan Helge Kalvik.
This took place in cooperation with Erik Ennis Dokken who is the leader of the selection committee.
RuneSteen announced his intention to resign from the board, and Arne Gerrit Halvorsen will work with a new treasurer.
Tom Johansen confirmed his intention to continue on the board.
Trond Andreassen announced his intention to withdraw from the board, and he was replaced by Soeren Marinus Diechman (Denmark).
Both deputie board members, Kurt Andreas Skog and Terje Bergiton Rydeng, confirmed their wishes to continue.
On August 23, 2024 the FYBG board received the sad news that Tom Johansen had died. The funeraul took place August 24, 2024 in Fredrikstad. FYBG was present and a bouquet of white flowers from FYBG was decorating and Geir Fredrik Larsen paied respect on behalf of Former Yugoslavia Balkan Group at Fredrikstad Old City church.
For the induvidual’s interest FYBG still has an agreement with the airline company Norwegian. Each of you can create a personal profile with the company. A discount will be given respectively on Low Fair and Flex tickets. There are no restictions on destinations.
At the board meeting October 12, 2023 it was announced that a Reference Group has been established for quality assurance for the intention of the work to be carried out. Knut Flovik Thoresen as leader and administrator supported by Jacob Boerresen retired flag commander,, senior consultant in military theory, defence security policy, secretary to Minister of Defence and NATO HQ. Aase Thomassen is political scientist and author. Kjell Arne Johannessen with experience from the Norwegian Armed Forces both national, international and historical competence.
The group has so far not had any cases to process. Therefore we ask members to submit cases. They should be sent to agh@balkangruppen.no who will forward the cases to jan.kalvik@balkangruppen.no where to be registered before handed over to kft@balkangruppen.no
A travelogue from the Balkan Group’s trip to Denmark 1 to 5 May 2025, written by Erik E. Dokken.
The Balkan Group’s board member Soeren Marinus Diechman invited the group to a Denmark meeting to invest time and oportunities to consider incorporating Danish Balkan veterans as permanent members of the group. Soeren has extensive experience from international operations, and has served with, among others, Arne in the Balkans. This trip turned out to became quite intimate, as it was just Soeren, Arne and my self (Erik)to be present. However, the flexibility in carrying out the trip, as well as the use of private accomodation instead of hotels, was well received. We met i Padborg just acreoss the border from Germany. We discussed cultural differences and similarities, and told stories. There are endless nubers of them. After haveing a nice dinner at Froeslev Kro, we ended the day with a morning plan for the next day. Froeslev Camp, a short distance away, was on a par with KZGrini in Norway outside Oslo during WWII, the larges concentration camp where Danish political men and women were held as prisoners and forced labors , or waiting to be sent to KZ camps in Germany.
A significant part of the camp is now also a war time museum, included an exhibition of «hvite bus». White buses used Froeslev Camp as an arrival camp from KZ Neuengamme in Hamburg, and x-prisoners had to undergo ahealth check and preparation before futher transport to Norway through Sweden for many Norwegians.
In the afternoon we drove 2,5 hours north to Soeren’s summer place near Herning. A bautiful sandy beache with a hight holiday factor. After another evening with good discussions and a better breakfast, we drove to Soeren’s house not too far from Billund.
There we prepared for a board meeting in the Balkn Group at 5 pm on Google Meet., we were 4/four of us from the board, Søeren, Jan Helge, Erik and Arne Gerrit. Respectively, and thus a full complement. One of the topics was precisely the experience and discussion about the invetation to Danish Balkan veterans. Soeren uses the Balkan Group’s purpose statement and adapts it into an invitation on the Balkan Veterans’ Facebook page, as well as the official veterns’ home page in Denmark.
We do hope for results during the year. Subsequently, a Danish referance group must be established, as well as discussion about the language, and what can be common themes, or must be respected as an exclusively national matter.
The next day we had time, and Soeren had, at our own request , been given tickets and access to Froeslev Camp, 80 years after the German forces surrendred (May 4, 1945) in Denmark.
Colonel (retired) Lars R. Moeller former commander of the Danish tank squadron that was stationed as next door to the Blue Factory in Tuzla 1994, was the day’s key note speaker. Together we laied flowers on the memorial with greetings from Norwegian veterans.
Soeren has done a fantastic job for us from Norway, in advance and all along the way. There are many interesting things waiting in the association. The trip was not sponsored either by the association or the Armed Forces, but Soeren’s arrangement reduced the expences to the minimum. We do hope others will join us on a similar trip another year, perhaps with Danish veteran friends on a trip to Norway.
Through out this year from April 11, 2024 and to May22, 2024 there have been 7 board meetings arranged. And a total numer of cases, 75 matters for cosidderation have been discussed and solved.
During this last year there have been communication within the board members in order to solve minor cases. Communications has worked well without any problems.
The Annual Meeting have received 3/three cases for processing.
Case 1.
Nomination of General Sir Hugh Michael Rose to be elected for the titel of «Patron» to Former Yugoslavia Balkan Group.
Case 2.
The Nomination of late Colonel Tom Johansen for the titel «Honorary Member» of Former Yugoslavia Balkan Group.
Case 3. Proposal from Erik Ennis Dokken structure change of titels in the board of Former Yugoslavia Balkan Group.
Lakselv Norway May 22, 2025
On behalf of the board FYBG
Arne Gerrit Halvorsen
Chairman FYBG
