<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>King Felipe VI visited this Wednesday the Spanish contingent deployed in the Multinational Brigade in Slovakia (MN BDE SVK), part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, of which Spain assumed command in July 2024.</strong></h4> The King, accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, thus concluded his two-day visit to the Spanish contingents deployed in Romania and Slovakia as part of NATO's missions on the eastern flank. The King's day began at the Lest training ground, where he was received by the Slovak President, Peter Pellegrini, the Minister of Defense, Robert Kaliňák, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, among other authorities. He was also received by the commander of the Multinational Brigade (MN BDE SVK COM), General Alfonso Pardo de Santayana, and by the Spanish leaders of the Strong Lineage 25 exercise, held from June 6 to 10 in Lest, which allowed for the first time to evaluate the full operational capabilities of the Multinational Brigade in Slovakia under Spanish leadership. The exercise, which concluded with the awarding of "NATO Excellence," featured the participation of more than 1,900 military personnel and 400 combat vehicles from seven allied countries. Next, King Felipe traveled to the former Soviet village of Oremland, on the Lest training ground, where he greeted the Slovak Ambassador to NATO, Marek Varga, and military representatives from the participating countries. He also visited the Tactical Command Post and the Kameni Observatory, where he attended a live-fire tactical exercise. The King's visit concluded at Camp Riecky with the Slovak President, where he met with Spanish military personnel in the dining hall before embarking on his return trip to Spain. In July 2024, Spain assumed command of Slovakia's multinational brigade, within the framework of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe. According to the Ministry, this is the largest Spanish deployment abroad, with 828 Army personnel at the Lest and Kuchyma bases, along with significant heavy equipment. Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, and the Czech Republic are joining this effort, which, under Spanish leadership, complete the Battlegroup's deterrence and defense capabilities. On June 2, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, received his Slovak counterpart, Juraj Blanár, in Madrid, before whom he reaffirmed Spain's "firm commitment" to NATO's eastern flank.
