UNIFIL COMMANDER VISITS INDONESIAN WARSHIP

Surabaya, E Java, June 27 (Antara) - Commander of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Luciano Portolano, visited the Indonesian warship KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367 on Thursday. The visit was the first since the Indonesian warship began its peacekeeping mission in Lebanon seven months ago, spokesman of the Eastern Fleet Command Lt. Col. Maman Sulaeman said in a press statement released on Friday. "The visit is one of the ways to identify and establish communication with UNIFIL soldiers (assigned in Lebanon) under the aegis of the United Nations," he said. The commander of the Indonesian warship KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367, accompanied by officers, greeted the UNIFIL commander along the helicopter deck of the warship. Also present at the greeting ceremony were MTF Commander Rear Admiral Flavio Macedo Brasil and DMTFC-COS Col. Dato Rusman SN. The Indonesian peacekeeping mission, named Garuda Contingent (Konga), left Indonesia for Lebanon in December 2014. The Indonesians will remain for one year as replacements for forces that have returned to their own countries. Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Moeldoko said recently that the 2014 Konga would serve with the ninth UNFIL mission in Lebanon after the UN Security Council extends the UNFIL mandate until Aug. 31, 2015.