NATO SHIPS LEAVING BLACK SEA
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.09.2008 19:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG 1)
successfully completed its planned visit and is leaving the Black Sea
today in accordance with the Montreux Convention which limits Black Sea
naval deployments to twenty-one days for non-Black Sea navies. SNMG
1 will operate in the Mediterranean following its departure from the
Black Sea, NATO press office told PanARMENIAN.Net
As part of its annual program, SNMG 1 was deployed to the Black Sea on
21 August 2008 with the aim of promoting interoperability among NATO
nations. Under command of Spanish Rear Admiral Juan Rodriguez Garat
it conducted routine port visits and naval exercises with Bulgaria
and Romania, both members of the NATO Alliance.
SNMG 1 is comprised of the Spanish frigate, Adm Juan de Borbon,
the German frigate, FGS Lubeck, the US frigate, USS Taylor and the
Polish frigate, ORP General K Pulaski.
Vice-Admiral Pim Bedet, Deputy Commander Allied Maritime Component
Command Headquarters Northwood stated, "SNMG 1 was able to participate
in a very successful visit to Romania and Bulgaria. In turn, this has
contributed towards developing NATO’s maritime interoperability with
its member nations within the Black Sea and the exercises conducted
there have reinforced NATO’s maritime capability in this strategically
important area of focus."