The event was held in Madrid, at the residence of the French Ambassador to Spain.
Pedro Morenés expressed his gratitude at the distinction "with great recognition, and on behalf of all Spanish civilian and military men and women, for those who have worked to defend our values and our common interests in Mali, in the CAR, in Somalia, in Lebanon, in Afghanistan and in Iraq. In all those places where our nations join forces to fight against terrorism and instability, which cause so much drama at the heart of civilian populations and which represent a tangible danger to our democracies".
After highlighting the importance of cooperation between France and Spain on the issue of security, which resulted firstly in the defeat of ETA terrorism, the minister highlighted the new international threat deriving from the emergence of Islamist terrorism, against which the two countries remain united.
France and Spain represent "two great European points of reference", which overlook both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, which necessarily leads us to strengthen relations "related to our political and industrial, operative and formative defence", underlined Pedro Morenés.
The minister sought to also devote a few words to the memory of those who died or were injured at the airbase accident in Los Llanos (Albacete) and thanked the French Ambassador for his presence at an event to bestow an award on the La Paz medical team held on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence.
Ministerio