The Diplomat
The director of the National Police, Francisco Pardo Piqueras, was decorated yesterday with the insignia of Knight of the National Order of the Légion d’Honneur, the highest distinction of the French Republic, which is awarded to French or foreign citizens for extraordinary merits in the civil or military field.
Pardo Piqueras was decorated by his French counterpart, Frédéric Veaux, at the French Residence in Madrid, in the presence of the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska; the Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez Ruiz; and the French Ambassador, Jean-Michel Casa.
During the ceremony, the ambassador highlighted “the central role of internal security cooperation in the Spanish-French relationship”, especially “in the framework of the successful joint fight against the terrorist organization ETA”, in which “the exceptional bonds of trust that unite our two countries were strengthened”.
For his part, Veaux praised the cooperation between the Spanish and French police forces in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, such as drug trafficking or irregular immigration, and highlighted the “decisive support” provided by Francisco Pardo Piqueras for the security of the G7 Summit in Biarritz.
