First Visit by the Prime Minister to the Spanish Troops in Afghanistan

After landing in Kabul, the prime minister, along with the minister of Defence and the Joint Chief of the Defence Staff, placed a wreath before the monolith situated by the runway in memory of the 62 Spanish service personnel killed in the Yakolev 42 accident in 2003. Later, Mr. Rajoy posed for a group photo with the Spanish force deployed in the Afghan capital, which is made up of over 200 service personnel –whom he addressed-, who are part of International Security Assistance Force Headquarters.  Among them was Spanish General Javier Cabeza, as aid to US Lieutenant General James Terry, commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command. 
 

From Kabul, the delegation travelled to the Herat Forward Support Base.  There Prime Minister Rajoy was received by the Force commander in Herat, Colonel José de Andrés. After receiving official honours and greeting a delegation of Forward Support Base commanders, the group toured the ROLE 2 hospital installations and the Medical Air Evacuation Unit. Following this, he had a meeting with the Spanish force in Plaza de España square.  In his address, the President of the Government affirmed that he felt ‘deeply proud’ of the labour carried out by the Armed Forces in the Asian country. Moreover, he encouraged all those present ‘not to lower their guard and to maintain their concentration until the end of the mission’.  
 

Lastly, the Prime Minister travelled to Base ‘Ruy González de Clavijo’, in Qala-i-Naw, where the Force commander, Colonel Fernando G. González‐Valero, received him, accompanied by the principal local Afghan authorities.  Among these were the governor of Badghis, the commanders of the Afghan National Army’s 3/207 Brigade, the Afghan National Police, the National Security Agency, as well as the presidents of the Provincial Council and the Council of Peace.  On the base esplanade a simple military ceremony was undertaken and later Mr. Rajoy –along with the journalists covering the visit- attended various presentations, in which he was offered up-to-date information on the mission. 

Videoconference with the deployments

Two days later, on 24th December, the Prime Minister contacted by videoconference all the forces deployed in ongoing Spanish Armed Forces missions.