VISIT OF THE COMMANDER OF THE CZECH OPERATIONS COMMAND, MAJOR GENERAL VACLAV VLCEK, TO IRINI OPERATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
On the 27th of March, at the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in Rome, Rear Admiral Valentino RINALDI, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI Operation Commander (OPCDR), welcomed Major General Vaclav VLCEK MSc, Commander of the Czech Operations Command.
Maj Gen. VLCEK had the opportunity to address a greeting to the representatives of the staff from the 23 Member States contributing to Operation IRINI, highlighting the importance of collaboration and mutual cooperation. The tenth anniversary of the participation and support of the Czech Republic in EUNAVFOR MED Operations was the occasion for this high-level visit to the Operation IRINI OHQ. This year, the Czech Republic has already sent its 20th military team as a solid pillar of the Operation. Since the beginning, almost a hundred Czech military personnel of various specialties have alternated in the Operation, especially in the areas of operational analysis and planning, logistics and medical support.
During the meeting RAdm RINALDI provided a comprehensive overview of the State of Play and future developments of the Operation, highlighting the recent EU Council Decision that has established the extension of the mandate until March 2027 and the assignment of the new fundamental task to contribute to the Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) in order to protect the EU interest in the operational area.
As part of the visit, Maj Gen VLCEK viewed the Joint Operations Center (JOC), the heart of IRINI’s OHQ, which operates on a 24/7 basis and is responsible for real-time Maritime Situational Awareness across the area of operation (AOO).
The visit was a tangible demonstration of the work carried out daily by the staff of Operation IRINI and an excellent opportunity for a meaningful exchange of considerations and ideas. In particular, it was emphasized that the IRINI OHQ is a highly operational and ready command and control center serving the EU and allows, due to the multinational, joint and inter-agency environment, the rapid integration, full contribution and professional growth of all personnel assigned by participating Member States.
