Sep
13
DIEGO SUAREZ
Madagascar — Republic of Madagascar
has warmly welcomed the EU Naval Force Spanish flagship, ESPS
Galicia and her crew in to the port of Diego Suarez.
Since this is the first time that the Spanish warship has
visited Madagascar, the Spanish Ambassador to Madagascar, His
Excellency Juan Ignacio Sell Sanz, Force Commander, Rear Admiral
Alfonso Gómez Fernández de Córdoba and ESPS Galicia’s Commanding
Officer, Captain Rafael Fernández-Pintado Muñoz-Rojas, took the
opportunity to invite government and military representatives on
board.
After being welcomed on board, the Spanish Ambassador to
Madagascar and the military and civilian authorities were given
a briefing on the EU Naval Force, Operation Atalanta, including
its important role protecting World Food Programme (WFP) vessels
from pirate attack as they transit the Somali coast to deliver
aid to displaced persons in Somalia.
The visitors were also given a guided tour of the warship.
Afterwards, they had lunch on the officers’ Wardroom.
During the lunch, the Force Commander addressed the guests:
“We are really glad to be here in Diego Suarez.
“Thank you for such a warm welcome to your country.
“We all share similar experiences and challenges in the
maritime environment.
“Co-operating together will help to strengthen security in
the Indian Ocean.”
On 10 September, the EU Naval Force flagship conducted Local
Maritime Capacity Building (LMCB) training with personnel from
the Madagascan Navy.
Crew members from ESPS Galicia’s Boarding Party explained the
processes for conducting friendly approaches with local
seafarers and opposed boardings against suspected pirates.
The maintenance procedures carried out on the ship’s small
boats and the outboard motors were also briefed, followed by a
tour in the engines rooms.
The training team received positive feedback from their
Madagascan guests, with a range of questions being asked.
Once again, the EU comprehensive approach proved highly
effective and served to enhance the mutual trust and
understanding between the maritime forces.
A visit by the President of Madagascar is expected during the
port visit.
Visits such as this help to strengthen relations between the
European Union and countries in the Indian Ocean region.
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.