North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
Allied Maritime Command
January 23, 2014
YEMENI COAST GUARD MEETS WITH COUNTER-PIRACY TASK FORCE
GULF OF ADEN: On Tuesday, 21 January 2014, the Head of the Yemeni Coast Guard, Brigadier General Ahmed Saleh Al-Soubhi, paid a visit to NATO’s Counter Piracy Task Force Commander, Rear Admiral (ESP N) Eugenio Diaz del Rio on board CTF-508 flagship ESPS ALVARO DE BAZAN.
The purpose of this visit was to look at ways to further improve the cooperation between NATO and Yemen in the fight against piracy. The meeting was an opportunity for the Yemeni Coast Guard delegation and the CTF-508 staff to look at current security concerns and to discuss regional cooperation prospects.
The NATO staff and the Yemeni Coast Guard delegation looked at future joint training opportunities between their respective units. General Al-Soubhi and his staff were also given presentations on the DHOW PROJECT, an initiative launched in 2011 by naval forces operating in the region to better understand maritime activity in the Southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
“What I felt during this meeting was an impressive willingness on Yemen’s part to cooperate with NATO. Last month, there were a couple of occasions on which cooperation between our units proved very effective.” said Rear Admiral Diaz del Rio. “We want to continue on that path.”
Story by HQ MARCOM Public Affairs Office
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