The European Union has formally taken over peacekeeping duties in Bosnia-Herzegovina from NATO.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and NATO head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer oversaw the transfer of power ceremony Thursday at Sarajevo's Camp Butmir.
NATO agreed earlier this year to turn over peacekeeping to the EU, citing what it called the improved security situation in Bosnia. The new EU force, EUFOR, consists of about 7,000 soldiers.
NATO it is not completely withdrawing from Bosnia. It will maintain a headquarters there to focus on fighting terrorism, gathering intelligence and arresting war crimes suspects.
NATO sent 60,000 peacekeepers to Bosnia in 1995 to enforce the Dayton Peace Accords that ended fighting among Bosnia's ethnic Serbs, Muslims and Croats.
Some information for this report provided by AFP, AP.
