The Secretary of International Affairs for Defense, Francisco Cafiero, participated in the port of Concarneau, France, together with the deputy chief of the General Staff of the Navy, Vice Admiral Eduardo Traina, in the reception ceremony of the fourth and last ocean patrol vessel, ARA ” Rear Admiral Cordero”, who will join the Argentine Navy in May.
“The relationship with France in terms of defense has intensified in recent years after the agreement signed with the Naval Group for the construction of the four ocean patrol boats,” said Cafiero during the reception of the new ship and the appointment of its first commander, the Frigate Captain Nicolás Leonardo Salinas.
“The National Defense Fund (Fondef) was key to achieving this acquisition that allows better patrolling, surveillance and control of our maritime coastline,” added the official about the role that the ARA Cordero, fourth and last of the ocean patrol boats, will have. built in France within the framework of the Naval Maritime Patrol Capacity Recovery Project carried out by the Argentine Navy.
« C’est avec fierté et émotion que nous livrons ce jour à la date exacte prévue au contrat le dernier patrouilleur de la serie à l’Argentine et assistons pour la 4⃣ème fois au lever du pavillon argentin en Bretagne. »
?️S. Giroud, Program Guidelines pic.twitter.com/6QqiA0tc4O— Naval Group (@navalgroup) April 13, 2022
The ship is expected to set sail from the French port for Argentina in early May to join the Maritime Patrol Division, the Ministry of Defense announced in a statement.
Also part of the Argentine delegation were the Defense Attaché to the Argentine Embassy in France, Captain Pablo Basso; the Argentine ambassador to France, Leonardo Constantino; and the Minister Counselor, Silvina Murphy.
During his stay in France, Cafiero held two meetings with French government authorities.
He spoke with the diplomatic advisor to Minister Florence Parly, Florian Escudié; with the head of the International Security Affairs Service of the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS), General Régis Colcombet, and the adviser for Latin America of the DGRIS International Security Affairs Service, Victoria Volat.
In addition, Cafiero will hold a meeting with General Luc De Rancourt, deputy director of the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy of the Ministry of the French Armed Forces.
He will also participate in a meeting with the director of the Strategic Observatory for Latin America, Gaspar Estrada, and will visit the logistics missions of the Argentine Navy and the Argentine Air Force in France.
