The Diplomat
The Spanish Defence’s Chief of Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, received yesterday the title of Officer of the Order of Australia for “his exceptional service in strengthening defence relations between Australia and Spain”.
The Australian Ambassador to Spain, Sophia McIntyre, accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, conferred the distinction on the admiral. “The friendship between Australia and Spain has never been closer than it is today,” said McIntyre. “The sea has always been a place for the circulation of cultures and values, and this is best represented by the JEMAD, a man of the sea who works for peace in the world and who is constantly forging ties with countries, some of which are geographically distant, such as Australia,” said the minister.
“Continents separate, but the seas unite,” said the admiral. Australia is a country with which “we share values and principles”, especially in the defense of democratic values that are currently being questioned by certain world powers, he added.
