September 8, 2020 – At 5.25 p.m. yesterday, the members of the Blue Helmets who have been relieved by other troops and who carry out UN peacekeeping missions in Larnaca, Cyprus, returned to our country from said city on Aerolíneas Argentinas flight No. 1923. This is the second flight operated by the Argentine flight carrier as part of an unprecedented operation and in such a special context.
The flight was welcomed by the Argentine Minister of Defense, Agustín Rossi, and the President of Aerolíneas Argentinas, Pablo Ceriani.
“Our Blue Helmets have been and continue to be a source of pride for the Argentine Armed Forces, and the military personnel who have the opportunity to take part in a UN peacekeeping mission always behave in a very professional manner,” emphasized Rossi, who highlighted the combined effort of several governmental agencies. Additionally, he praised the work of the members of Task Force No. 55, whose relief and return to the country was delayed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“The Armed Forces have proven to be extremely supportive and they have shown truly altruistic dedication and energy,” expressed the Minister.
Together with the head of the Ministry of Defense were the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brigadier General Juan Martín Paleo; the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Martín Deimundo Escobal; the Chief of Staff of the Army, Brigadier General Agustín Cejas; the Chief of Naval Operations, Rear Admiral Julio Guardia; the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Brigadier Xavier Isaac; and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs for Defense, Francisco Cafiero.
“We are proud to have collaborated in this relief of troops. Having performed this operation in such difficult times as the ones we are living in is a huge privilege and honor that carries great joy and satisfaction. These operations are nothing like the ones we usually perform. This flight holds a world record in terms of commercial aviation on an Airbus 330-200, which is the pride of our fleet. The longest route operated was Rome and we have now added Cyprus. This operation posed some challenges, and we are very glad that we were part of it,” stated Pablo Ceriani, President of Aerolíneas Argentinas.
The mission of the Argentine Blue Helmets in Cyprus is the second most important one in the world after that of the English troops. Their operations center is located in Skouriotissa, where observation and surveillance tasks of strategic areas have been performed since 1993.
It is worth mentioning that the members of the Armed Forces who arrived in the country will have to remain in temporary isolation.
