Ljubljana - Ahead of the International Day of Peace, President Borut Pahor received the Slovenian members of a UN mission that monitored the ceasefire between Israel and Egypt in the Sinai peninsula in the 1950s and 1960s. They highlighted the importance of peace efforts, the president's office said on Friday.

The veteran peacekeepers talked to the president about their experiences of the UNEF mission that was aimed at preventing a war between Israel and Egypt.

The effort took place from November 1956 to June 1967, and the Slovenian members served as scouts, patrolling the border between Israel and Egypt.

Today's reception at the Presidential Palace is a recognition of what they did, with Pahor highlighting Slovenia's commitment to peaceful policies and constant efforts to maintain peace and stability in the world. That is why the country is participating in numerous international operations and missions, he added.

Efforts by the Slovenian peacekeepers in Sinai serve as an important source of inspiration for the current generations of peacekeepers, the president said as quoted in a press release.

The reception was attended by Jože Kastelic, Franc Pišek, Davorin Preisinger, Janez Štrubelj, Rado Vadnjal and Janez Mejač. It was held before Saturday's annual meeting of the veteran Sinai peacekeepers.