The Spanish officer Lieutenant Colonel of the General Staff Vicente Díaz de Villegas was awarded the “Grand Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria” by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.
The award was presented by the Federal President at the suggestion of the Ministry of Defense. The award was presented in Kiev by Austrian Ambassador Gernot Pfandler at an event organized by the Ministry of Defence at the Ukrainian Defence University in late autumn. Due to the corona-related situation in Europe, it was not easy to find the right setting for the award ceremony. The annual event of the Austrian Defense Ministry in Kiev was chosen because Díaz de Villegas was invited as a guest speaker and high-ranking Austrian and European dignitaries took part. On behalf of the Austrian Federal President, the Ambassador in Kiev, Gernot Pfandler, presented the award to the Spaniard. In his laudatory speech, he emphasized the award-winner’s close ties with Austria and his constant efforts to represent European values and interests to third parties in a meaningful way.
“Mr. Vicente Díaz de Villegas has helped to consolidate and even expand Austria’s good reputation and its leading role in certain areas of the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union, in particular in the field of training, through his active approach and commitment that goes far beyond the norm. Mr. Vicente Díaz de Villegas’ affable and competent manner and his current position give him access to relevant decision-makers in Brussels and make him a renowned expert in various EU working groups,” said Ambassador Pfandler. Lieutenant Colonel of the General Staff Vicente Díaz de Villegas was born in Zaragoza (Spain) in 1974. He has taken part in several EU, UN and NATO missions. Díaz de Villegas is a recognized expert in the fields of “Strategic Communication” and “Capability Development”. He completed his studies at the IESE Business School (Madrid), Harvard University (Cambridge/Boston) and CESEDEN (Madrid).
