Robles visits Uruguay on the occasion of the call of the training ship 'Juan Sebastián de Elcano'

The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, along with some midshipmen, including the Princess of Asturias, Leonor de Borbón (La ministra de Defensa, Margarita Robles, junto a algunos guardiamarinas, entre los que se encuentra la princesa de Asturias, Leonor de Borbón.)

During her visit to the country, Robles also held a meeting with her Uruguayan counterpart, Sandra Lazo, in which they discussed issues of interest to both countries and matters such as the importance of the presence of women in defence and the Armed Forces, and support for women on the international stage. The Minister for Defence has extended a formal invitation to the Uruguayan minister to visit Spain.

On board the ship, Robles presided over the swearing in of the flag of fifty Spanish citizens living in Uruguay, in a ceremony in which the Princess of Asturias, who is continuing her military training on board the sailing ship, acted as flag bearer. This will be the brigantine-schooner's eighteenth visit to the country.

During the ceremony, the ship's commander, Captain Luis Carreras-Presas, emphasised the symbolism of swearing the flag on this centenary vessel, which in addition to signifying an assumption of responsibilities, is "a stimulus for the crew of the Elcano and a recognition for the Navy."

Also present at the ceremony were the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral General Antonio Piñeiro; the Spanish Ambassador to Uruguay, Javier Salido Ortiz; the Secretary of State Director of the CNI, Esperanza Casteleiro; the Undersecretary of Defence, Adoración Mateos, and the Secretary General of Defence Policy, Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez.

During her visit on board, Robles met with the Princess of Asturias, who was embarked as part of the 76 midshipmen belonging to the 427th promotion of the General Corps and 157th Marine Infantry.

Missions

The brigantine-schooner, named after the Spanish sailor who sailed around the world for the first time in 1522, has the primary mission of contributing to the comprehensive training of the midshipmen on board, who are in their third year of a five-year course at the Naval Military School, where they combine naval training with military, maritime and human training, as well as mechanical engineering.

Likewise, the 'Elcano' has among its missions to support the State's external action, to make Spain's relations with the countries it visits visible and to energise the Spanish community in each of the ports where it calls. Montevideo is the ship's second international call after Salvador de Bahía (Brazil) last February.

Once it leaves Uruguay, the ship will continue its 17,000 nautical mile voyage that will take it to the Chilean ports of Punta Arenas and Valparaíso; El Callao (Peru); Panama City; Cartagena de Indias and Santa Marta (Colombia); Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and New York, before returning to Spain and visiting the ports of Gijón, Ferrol, Marín and Cadiz again on 21 July 2025. In total, 14 ports and eight countries on the American continent, as well as six Spanish cities.

Non official translation