Civilian Operation Commander and Lithuanian Permanent Representative  Ambassador  Arnoldas Pranckevičius led the tributes.

We are gathered here to honour the memory of our fallen colleague and friend Audrius Šenavičius who died exactly ten years ago today while on active service with EULEX Kosovo .

As Civilian Operations Commander and on behalf of the European Union I would like to extend our deep-felt condolences to his family. Nothing can replace the loss of a loved one.

There is no escaping the fact that working in post conflict zones on CSDP crisis management tasks entails risk. Our experts deploy to our missions knowing that the risk is real. 

This makes their commitment all the more remarkable and we are grateful to them for volunteering to be on the frontline of our security efforts around the world.

As Commander of our Civilian CSDP Missions, I am responsible for the security and duty of care of our mission personnel. I make this responsibility my absolute priority. And the CPCC Headquarters that I lead makes every possible effort to anticipate and reduce the risks that our mission personnel are exposed to. But we cannot eliminate these risks altogether.

At 0745 hrs on the morning of Thursday 19 September 2013, 35 year old Audrius Šenavičius from Lithuania was murdered whilst driving to his work as a customs expert with the EULEX Mission in Kosovo. Audrius was not only a valued colleague, but also a dedicated and loving father, husband, son and a good friend to many. Audrius was serving under difficult and dangerous conditions – he devoted his energy and dedication to his role and lost his life in the pursuit of a worthy cause.

The European Union has honoured the memory of Audrius’ Šenavičius’ life and his sacrifice by dedicating a memorial stone in his honour which he now shares with other EU personnel who have fallen in the line of duty. The memorial placed here in the heart of the EU External Action Headquarters is a permanent reminder to all of the ultimate price that some have paid to uphold Europe’s security and its values.

My promise to you is that his work will be continued. His sacrifice and the sacrifice of his colleagues will be remembered.