<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, visited this Monday the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and was informed about the situation on the ground within the framework of the ceasefire agreed on November 27 by Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.</strong></h4> Robles, who has begun a two-day trip to Lebanon (barely a week after the official visit to Beirut by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares), went to the ‘Miguel de Cervantes’ Base, in Marjayoun, where the headquarters of the Multinational Brigade in the Eastern Sector of UNIFIL is located, led by the Spanish general Fernando Ruiz Gómez, and where there are nearly 700 Spanish soldiers, who constitute one of the most important contingents of the mission. On Tuesday, Margarita Robles will meet with the country's newly appointed president, General Joseph Aoun, and her Lebanese counterpart, Maurice Sleem. This is Robles' first trip abroad in 2025 and takes place just one week before the ceasefire ends. During the visit to Marjayoun, the minister stated that the mission - which is under the command of another Spanish soldier, Spanish Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro - is "essential for peace in Lebanon" and expressed her "pride" in "being able to affirm, without any reservations, that Spain is an example of professionalism and a guarantee of unwavering commitment to peace and security, and this is thanks to the work carried out by thousands of soldiers within the framework of UNIFIL." She also thanked the Spanish soldiers -belonging to the 10th Brigade 'Guzmán el Bueno', from Cerro Muriano, Córdoba- "for their work, their dedication and their empathy with the civilian population." In addition, Robles had the opportunity to share the work routine with the Spanish soldiers deployed on the Blue Line and was informed about how a daily patrol of the border area is carried out, how the surveillance guards are carried out or what is the protocol to enter the bunkers. As explained by General Ruiz Gómez, although after the ceasefire decree the reduction of incidents has been significant in the Eastern Sector, UNIFIL continues to remain alert to guarantee the safety of civilians and soldiers. For his part, the Chief of the Defence Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, who accompanies Robles, stated that the improvement in the situation presents not only an “opportunity to fix things and fulfil the assigned mission, but also to ensure that the future of this land is better than it has been until now.” Spain’s participation in UNIFIL began in September 2006, as part of Operation ‘Libre Hidalgo’, deploying its military in southern Lebanon, with the aim of contributing to the implementation of United Nations Resolution 1701. Since then, the Spanish Armed Forces have led the Eastern Sector of the mission from the ‘Miguel de Cervantes’ base. The Spanish contingent is made up of almost 700 men and women. To these must be added some 200 from Serbia, El Salvador and Brazil. All of them form the BRILIB XLII and together with the battalions from India, Indonesia and Nepal, they make up the UNIFIL Multinational Brigade East, under the command of the general in charge of the BRILIB XLII, Brigadier General Fernando Ruiz Gómez, with more than 3,500 peacekeepers of eight different nationalities.
