HR/VP Josep Borrell visited Operation IRINI for its 1st anniversary
On 18 and 19 March 2021, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission (HRVP) Josep Borrell, accompanied by the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Claudio Graziano, and the EEAS Deputy Secretary General for CSDP and Crisis Response, Mr Charles Fries, visited the Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI on the occasion of its 1st anniversary.
On 18 March, the HRVP, after an office call with the Italian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, visited the Operation’s Headquarters in Rome where he met with the Operation Commander, Admiral Fabio Agostini, and IRINI’s staff. The following day, he visited the Sigonella air base (Sicily) where he addressed IRINI’s personnel and presided a medal ceremony. In the same day, he also visited the German ship Berlin which has recently joined the Operation.
“Naval assets from France, Italy, Greece and Germany; a Lithuanian boarding team serving on a German ship; a Luxemburg plane next to a Polish one; staff of several different nationalities working together in the same room of the Joint Operation Centre: this is European defence in action” wrote the HRVP Josep Borrell on his blog at the end of the 2 days visit. (link https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/95383/operation-irini-and-search-peace-libya_en)
