Mike Penning MP, the UK Under-Secretary of State for Transport visited the EU NAVFOR Operation HQ in Northwood on 15 Sep 11 to be briefed on counter-piracy operations off Somalia. He also met the staff from the 26 Nations which support the EU mission which is tasked with protecting World Food Programme Shipments to Somalia and in protecting and deterring piracy attacks on merchant shipping.
Rear Admiral Duncan Potts, the Operation Commander, welcomed the visiting delegation and led a series of briefings which focused on the continually evolving EU military operation. He highlighted the importance of escorting World Food
Programme ships with food-aid for Somalia and the challenges and planning being undertaken to escort the increased volume of WFP chartered shipments urgently required to meet the demands of food aid resulting from the famine in Somalia.
The Under-Secretary of State commented: “I would like to thank the Commander and the rest of his team for welcoming me back to Northwood to see the important work being done to tackle piracy. This issue is clearly of major concern to the shipping industry and one I take very seriously. I would like to commend all at EUNAVFOR for their efforts in tackling this problem and I wish them all the very best for the coming months”.
Rear Admiral Duncan Potts, the Operation Commander, welcomed the visiting delegation and led a series of briefings which focused on the continually evolving EU military operation. He highlighted the importance of escorting World Food
Programme ships with food-aid for Somalia and the challenges and planning being undertaken to escort the increased volume of WFP chartered shipments urgently required to meet the demands of food aid resulting from the famine in Somalia.
The Under-Secretary of State commented: “I would like to thank the Commander and the rest of his team for welcoming me back to Northwood to see the important work being done to tackle piracy. This issue is clearly of major concern to the shipping industry and one I take very seriously. I would like to commend all at EUNAVFOR for their efforts in tackling this problem and I wish them all the very best for the coming months”.