On 2 February, EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA Commander (OpCdr), Vice Admiral Núñez Torrente met Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Mr. Kitack Lim, at IMO Headquarters in London (UK). Atalanta’s OpCdr had the opportunity to present the renewed mandate of ATALANTA and underline the undoubted commitment of ATALANTA to freedom of navigation in its Area of Operations. In the context of the removal of the High Risk Area (HRA) by the Shipping Industry, both agreed on the need to encourage all merchant vessels transiting the Western Indian Ocean to comply with BMP 5 and register with MSCHOA's voluntary registration scheme (VRS), as the best way to ensure the security of navigation and immediate assistance in case of need.
The relationship between Operation ATALANTA and IMO is fluent and fruitful, being the protection of vulnerable vessels transiting in the Western Indian Ocean one of the main tasks for the Operation.
