Slovenia's government, led by Prime Minister Marjan Sarec, on Tuesday appointed Alenka Ermenc as the Slovenian army chief-of-staff, making her the first woman holding that post.

President Borut Pahor who, according to Slovenia’s Constitution, is the commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces, said that he agreed with the proposal put forward to the cabinet by Defence Minister Karl Erjavec.

“General Major Alenka Ermenc meets all the criteria, she has vast leadership experience, and has demonstrated resolute in conducting the duties required,” Pahor’s office said in a press release, which came after Pahor promoted Ermenc to the rank of major general.

Ermenc is the first woman to head any armed forces in the NATO alliance, and perhaps the only woman holding this position in the world.

Slovenia’s armed forces comprise a little more than 7,000 troops, one sixth of whom are women.

Fully professional since 2003, Slovenia’s army participates in a number of NATO, EU, and UN missions around the world, with their largest foreign deployment in the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, with 240 troops stationed.

The 55-year-old Ermenc had also served in Kosovo as part of KFOR from June to December 2009.

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