In a ceremony held on board EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) warship ITS San Giusto in the port of Djibouti, Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino (Italian Navy) handed over force command of EU counter piracy Task Force 465 to Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes (Spanish Navy). The name of the new EU NAVFOR Flagship is ESPS MENDEZ NUMEZ.
In his speech, Admiral Pedro García de Paredes reminded the men and women of EU NAVFOR that “Over the past year we have witnessed a significant reduction in piracy, with the lowest number of attacks since Atalanta was launched in December 2008. That said, we must remain vigilant as pirates are still there and represent a high risk to all the ships transiting the area. Over the next 4 months, through our efforts, we will build on the success of counter piracy operations and help build a more secure environment for trade to flourish in the region”.