The commander of Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel ESPS Relampago welcomed EU member state ambassadors aboard during a port call in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Ambassadors from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands were welcomed by Lieutenant Commander Francisco Garcia Flores on January 13.
The visit was an opportunity to update the ambassadors on the European Union’s continuing efforts to ensure that Somali-based piracy remains suppressed.
Since she deployed with the EU Naval Force in October last year, ESPS Relampago has been conducting counter-piracy patrols close to the Somali coast. These patrols not only act as a deterrent to would-be pirates; they also serve to reassure local Somali fishermen and the thousands of merchant ships transporting goods to and from Europe, that the EU remains committed to ensuring that the scourge of piracy, which plagued the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean just a few years ago, does not return.
During their visit, the ambassadors were given a tour of the Spanish warship and introduced to the sailors and marines on board.