Continued collaboration and support from Serbia to Operation Atalanta

Jun 14, 2018 - 16:00
Cooperation and partnerships remain critical to the success of Operation Atalanta. Serbia’s contribution of military personnel not only to the Operational Headquarters in London but also deployed off the coast of Somalia on World Food Programme (WFP) vessels remains vital to keeping piracy repressed.

EU NAVFOR’s Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Alfonso Nanclares has met with the Chief of Serbian Armed forces, General Ljubiša Diković to discuss this partnership.

The General reaffirmed Serbia’s commitment to EU’s Operations and Missions particularly as EU NAVFOR Atalanta covers vital trade routes to and from Europe. He stated that the expansion of Serbian peacekeeping activities would remain at the centre of policy in supporting EU objectives.

Colonel Željko Tramošljika, interim Deputy Commander, Serbian Joint Operations Command then briefed the Admiral in the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, where they explained that Serbia have over 300 personnel currently deployed on EU and United Nations operations and missions around the world, including Operation Atalanta.

The effect of embarking armed military personnel onto WFP vessels means that potential pirate attacks can be deterred by the show of force. The deterrence mechanism allows EU NAVFOR’s warships to carry out further cooperation and support activities in order to keep piracy repressed.

EU NAVFOR remains at the centre of a complex network of international partners, the maritime trade industry, regional powers and other military organisations in order to keep piracy repressed off the coast of Somalia.

Categories