On 22 July, Rear Admiral Jan Thörnqvist, Force Commander EU NAVFOR, hosted General Thierry Caspar-Fille-Lambie, Commander of the French Forces in Djibouti on board the flagship HSwMS CARLSKRONA.  The main topic of the meeting was how to better support regional countries in their efforts to counter piracy and create a safe environment for shipping.

Rear Admiral Thörnqvist stated:  “This meeting will improve the possibilities for even better co-operation between EUNAVFOR and the French Forces in Djibouti. Improvements can be made in both operational and logistical terms”.

The French Armed Forces in Djibouti have a good knowledge of regional issues and are closely co-operating with Djiboutian authorities. EU NAVFOR has been operating in the region for the last two years conducting anti-piracy operations.  Djibouti is one of the main forward operating locations for EU NAVFOR with significant maritime and aviation facilities.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of  African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM and to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf  of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.