Rear Admiral Jan Thörnqvist, Force Commander for EU NAVFOR, held a lunch for representatives from the Kenyan Navy, Kenyan Maritime Authorities (KMA), World Food Programme (WFP) and The United Nations Support Office for AMISOM (UNSOA) onboard the Flagship Carlskrona on the 5 may.
After the lunch both KMA and Kenyan Navy were given an introduction to Mercury – an Internet-based system that allows communication between the naval forces and the merchant shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
Adm Thörnqvist Stated that "I would like to express my appreciation for the vital support that Kenya is providing to EU NAVFOR”, He also praised the good cooperation with World Food Programme and United Nations.
The Force Commander also suggested continued interaction and cooperation and to start that, he invited Kenyan Navy to conduct a PASSEX (a combined exercise on basic seamanship skills) when an opportunity next arose.
The delegation from Kenyan Navy was lead by Captain Kambuni while KMA participated with its Director General Nancy Karigithu. Operations Officer Ifigenia Metaxa came from WFP and Peter McGhioe from UNSOA.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM and to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast ofSomalia.