Meeting of the COVI Commander with diplomatic and military authorities and greeting to the Italian contingents of the MIBIL and UNIFIL missions
Army Corps General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, Operational Commander of Vertice Interforze (COVI), today concludes an official two-day visit to Lebanon, where he met the leaders of the Italian missions and the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon ( UNIFIL).
In addition, in the Lebanese capital and at the Italian bases of Shama and Naqoura, he greeted the soldiers employed in the Italian Bilateral Mission in Lebanon (MIBIL) and in the Leonte operation, part of the UNIFIL.
Yesterday, upon the arrival of the COVI delegation at the international airport of the capital, the High Officer was received by the Deputy Head of Mission / Chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of Italy in Beirut, Dr. Roberta Di Lecce, from 'Military Attaché in Lebanon, Colonel Marzo Zona and by the Commander of the MIBIL, Colonel of the Army Andrea Mazzotta.
This morning the transfer by helicopter to the locality of Shama, where General Figliuolo was welcomed by the Commander of the Sector West of UNIFIL and National Component Commander of the UN mission, Brigadier General Giuseppe Bertoncello.
After the rendering of honors at the nearby Italian base of Al-Mansouri, the Commander of COVI, accompanied by Dr. Di Lecce, was updated on the current situation in southern Lebanon and on the activities conducted by the Italian military in the area of operations. assigned to them.
He then met the men and women of the Italian Battalion (ITALBATT), a maneuvering unit led by Colonel Antonio Laudando and made up of men and women of the Aosta Brigade, in particular 5th Infantry Regiment, Lancers Regiment of Aosta (6th) , Logistics Regiment, 4th Engineers Regiment and Military Police of the Carabinieri.
The visit continued at the Naqoura base, where the Headquarters of the UN mission is located, for an office call with the Head of Mission / Force Commander of UNIFIL, the Spanish Major General Aroldo Làzaro Sàenz.
Subsequently, in the square of the Shama base dedicated to Lieutenant Andrea Millevoi, a meeting took place with the personnel of all the assets and articulations of the Joint Task Force - Lebanon Sector West, including ITALAIR, a unit composed of personnel of the Italian Army, of the Navy and the Air Force which provides air support to the UNIFIL mission through the use of AB-212 helicopters.
During his speech, the COVI Commander underlined that "the Italian Armed Forces are in Lebanon because this is a strategic country for the Mediterranean, which in turn represents a national priority, also in light of the problems relating to energy supply. , a consequence of the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Your presence here is important because you monitor compliance with a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel which is intended to be the premise for a definitive pacification between the two parties ”.
General Figliuolo listed the numerous activities carried out by the Italian contingent in the Land of the Cedars, from motorized patrols to observation posts along the Blue Line, to training in favor of the Lebanese counterpart, up to support activities for the population.
In the near future, the Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will start a distribution of medicines for the population, also providing medical support, through mobile health teams, to the Lebanese Armed and Security Forces. “We Italians know how to do all these activities and we know how to do them well”, concluded the COVI Commander, “because they are congenial to our values, our culture, the way we behave and interact with other populations. This human baggage, combined with the experience and professionalism of the Italian military, is the element of success of our mission ".
The signing of the Roll of Honor and the traditional and symbolic exchange of gifts between the Commanders marked the conclusion of the visit.
The military missions conducted by the Italian Armed Forces both abroad and on the national territory, including UNIFIL and MIBIL, are carried out under the coordination, direction and according to the directives given by COVI.
COVI is in fact the Top Command of the Joint Forces Operational Area and also performs the functions of staff body of the Chief of Defense Staff for the planning, coordination and direction of military operations and exercises at national level and international conducted in the five domains: earth, sea, sky, space and cyber.
MORE INFORMATION - UNIFIL
Italy has been present in Lebanon for over 40 years and this presence represents a cornerstone and a guarantee for local institutions and for the Beirut government in support of security in the south of the country.
The troops of the UNIFIL mission operate under UN mandate, through Security Council Resolution no. 1701 of 11 August 2006. The main tasks of the blue helmets are: to monitor the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel; support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in their redeployment in South Lebanon, in conjunction with the Israeli withdrawal, in coordination with the governments of Beirut and Tel Aviv; contribute to guaranteeing the access of humanitarian aid to the civilian population and the spontaneous return to safety by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs); assist the LAF in establishing, between the so-called “Blue Line” and the Litani River, an area free from armed personnel other than those of the LAF and UNIFIL; finally, to assist the Lebanese government in guaranteeing the security of the borders and in blocking the access to Lebanon of weapons and war material.
Furthermore, in the absence of formal relations between Israel and Lebanon, and therefore of a permanent ceasefire agreement - which is the ultimate aim of resolution no. 1701 - UNIFIL promotes the so-called tripartite meetings, which constitute the only effective instrument to which the parties have joined up to now, to try to resolve delicate aspects relating to security. The meetings are held on the basis of a work of mediation that is implemented through the representatives of UNIFIL and in particular, through the Force Commander, who acts as mediator. These "three-way" meetings generally take place on a monthly basis, but can be convened when particular circumstances arise that require them to be held.
MORE INFORMATION - MIBIL
The Italian Bilateral Mission in Lebanon (MIBIL) was born from a framework agreement between the Italian Republic and the government of the Lebanese Republic on cooperation in the field of Defense, signed in Beirut on 21 June 2004.
The mission, which is part of the broader context of the initiatives of the "International Support Group for Lebanon" (ISG), aims to increase the overall capabilities of the Lebanese Armed and Security Forces, providing advice and developing training programs and training previously agreed with the Lebanese authorities. This takes place in close coordination between the Defense, the COVI and the Lebanese institutions, through the use of Italian national excellence in training, specifically and temporarily deployed such as Mobile Training Team. These are assets of varying size, capable of conducting training and training activities in support of the Lebanese Armed and Security Forces throughout the country.
The ultimate goal of the mission is to increase the overall capabilities of the Lebanese Armed and Security Forces, in order to enable them to face, effectively and independently, the security situation in Lebanon caused by the "spillover" of the Syrian crisis and of the Middle Eastern area more generally.