Nusrat Ghani
U.K. Minister for Maritime
London, 10 September 2019—This week, EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation ATALANTA’s Deputy Operation Commander, Rear Admiral Giovanni Battista Piegaja, attended events in London, U.K. during London International Shipping Week (LISW).
The events included the Maritime Security Symposium hosted by The Security in Complex Environment Group (SCEG), a meeting with the U.K. Assistant Chief of Naval Staff for Policy, Major General Gwyn Jenkin, and a routine visit to UKMTO's Maritime Trade Information Centre (MTIC) in Portsmouth.
Meeting with Major General Gwyn Jenkins
R. Adm. Piegaja’s meeting with the U.K. Assistant Chief
of Naval Staff for Policy, Major General Gwyn Jenkins,
was an opportunity for Operation ATALANTA and the
U.K. Navy to recognise the importance of preserving
existing operational and strategic relationships between
EU NAVFOR Somalia and the UK Navy, especially in the
fast-changing context of the maritime security industry.
Maritime Security Symposium
Over 100 maritime security practitioners, industry
associations, shipping companies, marine insurers and
representatives from the UK government’s Department
for Transport attended the symposium, which was held
in the Lloyds Building in London. The theme of this year’s
London International Shipping week was, ‘International
Trade in a Changing World.’
“We are in a changing world," said the U.K. Minister for Maritime, Nusrat Ghani. "Therefore, our needs for trade will change and adapt to a new global landscape.”
R. Adm. Piegaja also presented a brief presentation to the audience, in which he provided a summary of Operation ATALANTA’s activities since the transfer of headquarters earlier this year, a comprehensive maritime threat assessment and some insight into what the future could hold for the operation.
Visit to UKMTO's Maritime Trade Information Centre (MTIC)
Taking advantage of the visit to London, the EU NAVFOR Somalia staff also met with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) Maritime Trade Information Centre. UKMTO is an essential partner of EU NAVFOR.
Both parties stressed the need to improve cooperation by improving real-time information sharing in order to initiate the fastest military response from EU NAVFOR Somalia assets.
EU NAVFOR Somalia’s trusted partnership with the International Shipping Industry is at the heart of its success in reducing and containing the threat of Somalia-based piracy. Since 2008, Operation ATALANTA has worked with various industry partners to prevent piracy and secure the waters off the Horn of Africa.