Operation IRINI‘s Briefing to Like-Minded Ambassadors and high-level military and diplomatic delegations
On July 1st, Rear Admiral Valentino RINALDI, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI’s Operation Commander (OPCDR), had the distinct privilege of welcoming a high-level European Union Member States’ delegation to the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in Rome. The delegation, which included European ambassadors, senior diplomats, military officials, and representatives from UNSMIL and the World Bank, was provided with a comprehensive briefing on the current status of Operation IRINI and recent political developments involving Libyan Authorities.
The briefing, attended by Admiral RINALDI and his staff, as well as representatives from the European Union Delegation (EUDEL) and the European External Action Service (EEAS), covered various aspects of the Operation and its alignment with broader EU and international goals.
Key topics discussed included the Operation IRINI’s impartial and effective enforcement of the United Nations arms embargo on Libya, a measure aimed at fostering regional peace and stability. A focal point of the meeting was the outcome of a key discussion with Libyan officials held in Rome on June 30th, which proved instrumental in strengthening trust and communication channels with Libyan authorities.
This meeting served as an invaluable opportunity for cross-institutional dialogue, enabling participants to better understand the Operation and engage with various perspectives. During the briefing, Admiral RINALDI provided an extensive overview of both the current state of the operation and future plans. He highlighted the recent European Council Decision, which extended the Operation’s mandate for another two years, until March 2027, and incorporated the new task of contributing to Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) in the Central Mediterranean. This added responsibility aims to protect EU interests, particularly in safeguarding maritime security and critical underwater infrastructure.
Admiral RINALDI emphasized that the primary task of Operation IRINI remains the enforcement of the UN arms embargo on Libya, task for which it is considered important to foresee the renewal, next November, of UNSCR 2292 on the inspection regime applicable to cargo vessels suspected of trafficking in arms. Additionally he presented the Operation’s secondary objectives, which include monitoring and countering oil smuggling, dismantling human trafficking networks, and supporting capacity-building and training (CB&T) efforts for Libyan institutions. In his remarks, he reiterated the commitment of Operation IRINI to support Libya’s stabilization process, underlining the Operation’s readiness to respond to the specific needs of Libyan institutions.
The visit underlined Europe’s common commitment to strengthen cooperation with Libyan institutions and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to uphold international law and improve regional security in a geopolitically critical area. He also highlighted the crucial role of the political and diplomatic support of the Member States necessary to strengthen the fruitful collaboration in progress with the Libyan authorities and to support the new developments of Operation IRINI.
