In training hub of the headquarters of the 8th brigade of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the Military Technical Committee for Lebanon (Military Technical Committee for Lebanon – MTC4L) inaugurated, as part of the initiatives of capacity building, the operational activities and the launch of the first courses in favor of the LAF, sealing an institutional path started last March and led by Italy.
The strengthening of the capacity and mobility of the Lebanese Armed Forces, through basic and advanced infantry courses for new recruits and for units with low operational readiness, as well as the continuation of all ongoing training, sanctioned by bilateral and multilateral agreements already in place , is one of the main tasks of the MTC4L, an Italian-led multilateral coordination technical body.
The MTC4L is currently made up of 8 partner nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain and the United States of America) and has an immediate dual objective: the restoration of security conditions which have deteriorated in the last period in southern Lebanon, through direct support to the Lebanese Armed Forces, and the return of displaced persons.
The inaugural event took place in the presence of the Italian ambassador to Beirut, Fabrizio Marcelli, the commander of the Military Technical Committee, Major General Diodato Abagnara and the military attachés of the contributing countries.
On this occasion, the new logistics hub, nearing completion, which will be used by Italian military instructors during training activities, was also presented to the participants.
Finally, as evidence of the dynamism of the Committee's work, in recent days a cargo ship docked at the port of Beirut which, thanks to the solidarity of various donators Italians, transported around 10 tons of basic necessities to the land of cedars, including medicines, medical equipment and food, to be distributed both to the local population and to the LAF.
These donations of a humanitarian nature are combined with the mandate of the MTC4L which, in addition to supporting the training and consequent redeployment of the LAF south of the Litani river, also aims to support the local population, a key element to foster renewed confidence in the work of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The Italian commitment in the Middle East testifies to the continuity of the work of thousands of Italian soldiers who have been in service in Lebanon for years and is part of a context in which peace represents a fundamental value for the coexistence of peoples.
The Military Technical Committee for Lebanon depends, for national aspects, on the top joint operational command which, based on the directives of the Chief of Defense Staff, directs and coordinates all operational, training and humanitarian activities conducted by the Italian military contingents present in Lebanon, including those of the blue helmets of UNIFIL and MIBIL, the Italian Bilateral Military Mission in Beirut.
