The Republic of Madagascar welcomed the EU Naval Force Spanish flagship, ESPS Galicia and her crew in to the port of Diego Suarez on Wednesday 9 September.
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.
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.
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Image: EUNAVFOR