VISIT OF THE AMBASSADOR OF IRELAND TO ITALY AT EUNAVFOR MED OPERATION IRINI HEADQUARTERS (OHQ)
On December 4, 2025, Rear Admiral Marco CASAPIERI, Operation Commander of the EUNAVFOR MED IRINI (OPCDR), had the privilege of officially welcoming to the Operational Headquarters in Rome H.E. Elizabeth McCULLOUGH, the Ambassador of Ireland to Italy, accompanied by the embassy’s diplomatic staff.
The visit began with an introduction by the Operation’s Command Group, represented by French Navy Rear Admiral LE QUILLIEC, Deputy OPCDR, and Italian Air Force Brigadier General MAGGIO, Chief of Staff (COS). This was followed by a greeting from the representatives of all 24 contributing Member States, including the Irish personnel assigned to the OHQ, to whom the Ambassador expressed her gratitude for their dedication and professionalism in carrying out Operation IRINI.
During her visit to the OHQ, the Ambassador received an in-depth briefing on the current operational environment and on Operation IRINI’s five key tasks: countering illegal arms trafficking; contributing to counter oil smuggling; supporting the disruption of human smuggling business models; providing capacity-building and training in favour of Libyan institutions; and enhancing maritime situational awareness, with particular focus on gathering information to protect critical maritime infrastructure.
In particular, the discussion highlighted the importance of the two-year renewal of the EU mandate which extended the Operation until March 2027 and the recent further six-month renewal of the UN resolution on the inspection regime established to implement the UN arms embargo on Libya. The briefing also highlighted Operation IRINI’s commitment to continue promptly and effectively in providing CB&T to enhance EU-Libya cooperation, as well as in expanding the Operation’s role in maintaining Maritime Situational Awareness and monitoring Critical Maritime Infrastructure (CMI) in the Central Mediterranean, to safeguard EU interests.
The visit of the Ambassador of Ireland to Italy was a great honor for the Operation and provided an excellent opportunity to highlight its activities and achievements, showcase future developments, and underscore the ongoing commitment of all personnel, both at headquarters and on the naval and air assets deployed in the Mediterranean. The visit also reaffirmed the strong political and diplomatic support of the Member States for the EUNAVFOR MED Operation IRINI, which remains crucial for the protection of EU interests in the region.
