Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (both ÖVP) exchanged views with the Austrian soldiers in Lebanon via video conference on Friday. The focus of the conversation was on the safety of the Austrian contingent.
About 170 members of the armed forces are currently part of the UN mission UNIFIL. They are stationed in Naqoura camp, about 110 kilometers south of the capital Beirut, near the Israeli border.
“The most important thing is that, given the situation, our soldiers in Lebanon are doing well,” Tanner said, according to a broadcast from her office after the videoconference. “They are protected and cared for in the camp.” The federal army has “carried out important work in Lebanon over the past thirteen years and will remain on the ground in close consultation with international partners as a sign to the civilian population in the region. ”, emphasized the Minister of Defense.
Austrians serve along the “Blue Line”
Schallenberg described the situation in the Middle East as “tense to the breaking point.” Austria is not just an observer in this volatile situation. “Our contingent is there and serves along the Blue Line,” he said, referring to the Israeli-Lebanese demarcation line.
The safety of UNIFIL soldiers is a top priority and must be guaranteed by all parties, the Foreign Minister said. In addition to the Austrians still in Lebanon, the Austrian embassy in Lebanon is also in close contact with the Austrian UNIFIL contingent.
Observer mission has been running for decades
UNIFIL has existed since 1978. Since 2011, Austria has also participated in the UN mission in Lebanon with a logistics contingent. The approximately 170 soldiers there are responsible for planning and executing transports. In total, approximately 10,000 soldiers from more than 40 countries are involved in the mission.
Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon this week, the first in nearly two decades. In 2006, a similar Israeli offensive killed four UN soldiers when an observation post in southern Lebanon was shelled, including Austrian Major Hans Peter Lang.
Source: Krone
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