On 21st May the German Secretary of State, Mr. Thomas Kossendey, visited the German detachment for Operation Atalanta in Djibouti where he witnessed the handover of German frigate FGS Berlin to FGS Bremen as an EU Naval Force frigate.
Before he witnessed the handover ceremony on board FGS Bremen Mr. Kossendey used his stay to maintain the excellent relationship between Djibouti and Germany.
Following an invitation from Djibouti´s Prime Minister, Mr. Dileita Mohamed Dileita , the German Secretary of State used the opportunity for official calls with the minister of defense and the minister of foreign affairs of the Red Sea state. Besides his official calls he also met with soldiers of the German MPRA Detachment and the German National Support and Liaison Element in Djibouti.
At the Ceremony, Mr. Kossendey thanked Commander Martin Waldmann – Commanding Officer of FGS BERLIN and his crew for their hardwork and commitment to counter-piracy operations. “FGS BERLIN was part of ATALANTA as combat ship. In the past few months your ship has been a reliable and effective platform in the fight against piracy.”
During its three month deployment, FGS BERLIN disrupted three skiffs, escorted three WFP ships and rescued the crew of a hijacked indian dhow. Moreover the German Combat Support Ship replenished several EU NAVFOR ships and contributed to reconnaissance in the area of maritime operations. Addressed to Commander Ingolf Schlobinsky , Commanding Officer of FGS BREMEN, and his crew the German politician stated: “ Good luck and a lucky hand with your very responsible mission.”
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , May 24, 2012; Image: eunavfor