Lebanon: French Defense Minister visits UNIFIL

20/04/15

The French Defense Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, today visited the French contingent employed in the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) mission under the command of division general Luciano Portolano, head of mission and commander of the UN Force in southern Lebanon.

General Portolano welcomed the minister to the UN base of Dayr Kifa, headquarters of the UNIFIL Reserve Force Command, accompanied by Colonel Hasard Laurent, commander of the Force Commander Reserve (FCR).

During the meeting, General Portolano expressed his satisfaction with the work of the French blue helmets who with their presence testify to the French and international community commitment in synergistic key to the achievement of the objectives contained in the mandate of the 1701 resolution of the United Nations Security Council.

The presence of the French minister in Lebanon coincided with the arrival of the first batch of French weapons destined for the Lebanese Army. This is an operation worth 3 billion dollars financed by Saudi Arabia, aimed at increasing the equipment and supporting the development of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

With 815 peacekeepers, France is among the main contributing countries of the UNIFIL mission.