After arriving in Kabul with the Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD), Admiral Fernando García Sánchez, the two senior Spanish officials laid a wreath of flowers at the monument built to remember the victims of the Yakolev 42 accident on the tenth anniversary of the crash.
The purpose of this visit by the State Secretary for Defence is to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, which the President of the Government already conveyed to the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, in December 2012, as well as to reiterate the support from the Government of Spain for the people of Afghanistan and the Spanish commitment to remain part of the NATO mission post-2014.
Furthermore, the State Secretary also aims to offer the experience of Spanish companies in the management of air space and airport installations, and to support Spanish interests with regard to the award of a contract for the management of the civil aviation system in Afghanistan. In this regard, ISDEFE (a company owned by the Ministry of Defence) has begun the process for taking part in the project based on its experience in the area.
Pedro Argüelles expressed his conviction to the Afghan Transport Minister that Herat, as a modern city with great potential, should have an airport to act as a gateway for future investment in the region.
Following the floral tribute for the victims of the Yakolev 42 accident, the Chief of Defence Staff travelled to the Spanish base in Qala-i-Naw, where he met with members of the Spanish armed services deployed there.
