VISIT OF THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE OF IRELAND, THOMAS BYRNE AT IRINI OPERATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
On the 15th of April, Rear Admiral Valentino RINALDI, Operation Commander of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI (OPCDR), had the privilege to officially receive at the Operational Headquarters in Rome the Irish Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence of Ireland, Thomas Byrne T.D., accompanied by H.E. Patricia O’Brien, Ambassador of Ireland to Italy and a high-level diplomatic delegation.
At the beginning of the visit, the Irish Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence had the opportunity to greet the representatives of the 23 Member States contributing to IRINI Operation and to express words of appreciation for their strong commitment and relevant achievements.
The distinguished Irish delegation was then briefed in detail on the characteristics of Operation IRINI and its future developments. In particular, the OPCDR highlighted the importance of the recent two-year renewal of the EU mandate which extended the Operation until March 2027, reaffirming the main task of implementing the arms embargo imposed on Libya by the UN Security Council, as well as the fight against human and oil trafficking and the development of Capacity Building and Training Initiatives to support the Libyan maritime authorities, and also expanded the potential of the Operation through the new task of ensuring the Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) to protect critical underwater infrastructures and EU interests in the Mediterranean.
The visit of the Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence of Ireland was an excellent opportunity to meet with a high representative from a contributing Member State and reaffirm that EUNAVFOR MED IRINI is today the most ready and effective tool to ensure the EU’s interests in the Mediterranean. The Operation can in fact rely on strong political and diplomatic support from EU Member States, the excellence of its Operational Headquarters in Rome and the high level of professionalism of its joint and combined staff, as well as on the capabilities of the naval and air assets allocated to ensure maritime security in the Area of Operations.
