KRI Iskandar Muda off to Lebanon

Jakarta - Indonesian warship KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda left for Lebanon on Tuesday to join the Marine Task Force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (MTF-UNIFIL). The warship with hull number 367 was dispatched by National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Admiral Agus Suhartono from the pier Military Sea-Lift Command (Kolinlamil) here on Tuesday. On the occasion Admiral Agus Suhartono said the departure of KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda was the third of Indonesian role in the Marine Task Force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. "Indonesia has earlier sent KRI Diponegoro-365 and KRI Frans Kasiepo-368 to Lebanon to join the United Nations Peace-keeping Mission there," Suhartono said. Following the dispatch of KRI Diponegoro-365 to Lebanon, UNIFIL Commander Maj Gen Claudio Graziano said at the time that the Indonesia's warship was eligible to be part of the MTF-UNIFIL. During a cocktail party on board KRI Diponegoro-365 at Beirut port in Lebanon at the time, Graziano said he highly appreciated Indonesia's participation in the UN peace-keeping mission in Lebanon, especially in becoming part of MTF-UNIFIL. Graziano said that KRI Diponegoro meet UN standards to carry out international peace-keeping assignments, especially in South Lebanon. "The participation of KRI Diponegoro in the MTF-UNIFIL indicates Indonesia's capability and commitment to supporting he UN mission to keep and maintain security in Lebanon," Graziano said. He expressed hope that the Indonesian warship participation in Lebanon would motivate UNIFIL to reach its target of creating and maintaining peace both at sea and on the land in South Lebanon. Meanwhile TNI Chief Agus Suhartono said that in its six-month mission in Lebanon, KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda would codenamed Garuda Contingent XXVIII-C. The UNIFIL Marine Task Force was formed according to the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on peace-keeping mission in South Lebanon.