Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 13 (ANI): The EU NAVFOR (European Union Naval Force) participated in the seminar “Enhancing the Indo-Pacific security network in the maritime domain: an EU perspective”, held in Mumbai on Sunday, the European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a press statement.

Atalanta Deputy Commander, Italian Rear Admiral Giovanni Galoforo, participated in the seminar that was co-organized by the Italian Embassy in India and the National Maritime Foundation, India’s first maritime think-tank for the conduct of independent and policy-relevant research on all maritime matters.

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On behalf of the EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta Commander, Spanish Vice Admiral José M. Nuñez Torrente, and the European Union, Atalanta Admiral Galoforo had the opportunity to thank to India and Italy for organizing the seminar at a time of utmost importance, EEAS said in its press statement. 

The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the European Union’s diplomatic service. Since 2011, the EEAS carries out the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy to promote peace, prosperity, security, and the interests of Europeans across the globe.

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EEAS release further said that India remains one of the most relevant actors and the EU and EU NAVFOR are looking forward to working together “Towards a Sustainable and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region

Representing the European Union and Operation Atalanta, Admiral Galoforo highlighted the relevance of the dedicated EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, a significant commitment, with which the EU is stepping up the strategic engagement in this vital region.

Also, the EU Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) concept in the Northwest Indian Ocean (NWIO) was a paramount element of the discussion. CMP NWIO promotes the presence of EU Member States’ naval assets, coordination with EU capacity-building initiatives, and interaction with partners in the region, according to EEAS.

In addition, Admiral Galoforo presented EU NAVFOR to the distinguished audience, a short background, achievements and the new horizon faced by the Operation in this dynamic and challenging area of operation. Therefore, cooperation with key partners in maritime security, such as India, is principal to ensure the essential freedom of navigation and stability in the Western Indian Ocean.

As an example of this cooperation the EU NAVFOR flagship, ITS DURAND DE LA PENNE, conducted recently a joint activity at sea with the Indian Navy destroyer INS VISAKHAPATNAM, off the Omani Coast on 6 August, EEAS said. 

During the activity, EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Rear Admiral Fabrizio Rutteri, was hosted on board the Indian destroyer by the Flag Officer of the Western Indian Fleet, Rear Admiral Vineet McCarty, who on his part visited ITS DURAND DE LA PENNE.

Also, the previous day, Admiral Galoforo met with Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, a distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation; Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command; Manjeet Kriplani, Co-Founder and Director of Gateway House, and Rear Admiral KP  Arvindan, Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard Mumbai.

In this context, Admiral Galoforo stressed that Atalanta is more than ships, supporting EU initiatives in maritime domain awareness such as the Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) tool developed by the Critical Maritime Routes Indo-Pacific (CRIMARIO) project, and keeping in permanent contact with the shipping industry through EU NAVFOR Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA), and the international Shared Awareness and De-confliction (SHADE) conference, whose 51st reiteration will be held in Bahrein on 11 and 12 October. (ANI)

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