"The prime ministers of Finland and Estonia, Juha Sipilä and Taavi Rõivas, visited the soldiers of their respective contingents within the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) mission yesterday, under the command of division general Luciano Portolano, head of mission and commander of the UN force in southern Lebanon.
General Portolano initially received the prime ministers at the United Nations base in At Tiri, home of the Finnish, Estonian and Irish contingents.
During the meeting held then at the mission command in Naqoura, the general provided an update of the operational framework, illustrating the multiple daily activities conducted by the civil and military components of the Mission within the mandate of the 1701 resolution. During the interview, the general then focused on the regional situation with particular reference to the neighboring Syrian conflict and its impact on the country's domestic and national security policy. The head of the mission also emphasized the importance of the "Strategic Dialogue" - a mechanism aimed at facilitating the development of the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces - as an important lever for achieving the goals of the UNIFIL mandate.
On the sidelines of the meeting, General Portolano also expressed his satisfaction with the work of the Finnish and Estonian blue helmets and thanked both prime ministers for the participation of their nations in UNIFIL, which in the delicate regional context continues to carry out the delicate role of mediator between Lebanon and Israel for the implementation of 1701.
In the course of the meeting the prime ministers expressed in their turn words of appreciation for the meritorious work carried out by the military and civil personnel of the mission, highlighting the delicacy of the particular historical moment that the Middle East is experiencing.
Currently Finland and Estonia participate in the mission respectively with Finnish military 300 and 36 Estonian soldiers employed in the Italian Sector West, in the UNIFIL operation area. "
