The Chief of the Defence Staff receives the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee

• During his official visit to Spain, General Robert Brieger also visited the headquarters of Operation Atalanta in Rota

The Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, has met with the President of the European Union Military Committee (CEUMC), General Robert Brieger.

The Austrian general was received with honours at the General Headquarters of the Defence Staff. After signing the Book of Honour, he held a working meeting with the JEMAD and other military authorities in which, among other issues, the Spanish contribution to EU missions was discussed.

Subsequently, the CEUMC travelled to the Superior Centre of National Defense Studies (CESEDEN for its Spanish acronym) where it was received by its Director, Lieutenant General Francisco Bisbal. General Brieger gave the lecture 'EU response to global security and defence challenges' to the students of the Armed Forces Staff Course.

During the afternoon, accompanied by Admiral General López Calderón, he met with Minister Margarita Robles at the Ministry of Defence.

The CEUMC also travelled to Rota, to the headquarters of Operation Atalanta, where it was received by the Commander of this European Union operation, Vice Admiral Jose M. Núñez Torrente. After signing the Book of Honour, General Brieger attended a briefing on the current maritime security situation in the Western Indian Ocean, the status of Operation Atalanta, as well as the challenges he faces after the entry into force of his new mandate.

Following this briefing, he met with the staff of the Headquarters and visited its facilities, including the Joint Operations Centre (JOC), from where the safety of shipping in the Area of Operations is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

On his return to Madrid, he visited the European Union Satellite Centre (SATCEN) at the Torrejón Air Base where he was received by its Director, Ambassador Sorin Dumitru Ducaru. At SATCEN, he visited the operations room and learned first-hand about the Centre's mission and operations support tasks.