Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles attended the welcome ceremony for the US Navy destroyer USS John Basilone (DDG-122) at Rota Naval Base. The ship’s arrival completes the phased deployment agreed by the governments of Spain and the United States to reinforce NATO’s missile shield in southern Europe.
Six missile-defense ships are now permanently deployed jointly at Rota, up from four under the agreement.
At the ceremony, Robles stressed the importance of air defense amid the international situation and highlighted Spain’s bilateral relations with the United States and their cooperation within NATO. She said collaboration was important for working towards peace.
