Cynthia Busuttil
Mediterranean 'safer with Nato'
Nato's operations in the Mediterranean have rendered the region safer and more secure, something from which Malta too is drawing benefit, Rear Admiral Sinan Ertugrul said yesterday.
Admiral Ertugrul, the commander of the Standing Nato Response Force Maritime Group 2 - which will end a trip to Malta today - said the launch of Operation Active Endeavour has increased the region's stability.
Launched in response of the September 11 attacks, Operation Active Endeavour is a Mediterranean-wide counter terrorism operation involving Nato ships.
Speaking on board the Turkish TCG Salihreis, the flagship of the mission, Admiral Ertugrul described Malta's harbour as one of the safest for a short stop since it enjoyed good weather and people were traditionally hospitable.
Four frigates - the Greek HS Kountouriotis, the Italian ITS Euro and the British HMS Somerset apart from the Turkish flagship - have been here for a five-day visit aimed at giving the staff the opportunity to take a break from life at sea and understand the local culture.
Admiral Ertugural pointed out that the visit was not related to Malta's recent rejoining of the Partnership for Peace, adding that the trip had been scheduled a year in advance. "Malta is one of the strategically important nations in the Mediterranean," he said, underlining the importance of regular visits by Nato's mission.
The SNMG2 is a permanently activated multinational Nato maritime force created as a high readiness group with the intention of being mobile and flexible across a broad spectrum of missions from peace to conflict. The fleet operates under the Allied Maritime Component of Naples and is also part of the maritime component of the Nato Response Force.
2 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Chris Mizzi
Jun 17th 2008, 15:20
Moviment Graffitti is once again expressing its concern regarding the visit of foreign warships to our country. This concern is being sustained in view of the presence of three ships from the NATO Maritime Group 2 in Maltese harbours.
Moviment Graffitti states: “It seems that the visits of military vessels, especially those forming part of NATO, are becoming increasingly frequent especially since Malta joined the PfP. This is worrying because these ships are nothing but tools of death and destruction brought upon by war. When Malta welcomes vessels fully armed with weapons that can kill hundreds of persons in a few minutes, our country becomes an accomplice in the violent actions that these warships carry out.”
Moviment Graffitti states also: “We strongly believe that our country should promote and work for peace. This can never be the case if our harbours continue to welcome military vessels, on the other hand by doing so Malta is not only giving its approval to wars happening around the world but also being a direct accomplice.”
A Daley
Jun 17th 2008, 15:19
Nato's operations in the Mediterranean have rendered the region safer and more secure, something from which Malta too is drawing benefit, Rear Admiral Sinan Ertugrul said yesterday.
Ooops, ergajna koppi, anke hawn! The Mediterranean is safer in the hands of the Mediterranean countries, not others.
Mintoff in Helsinki:- If there is no peace in the Mediterranean there will never be peace in Europe.
In short, if NATO is in dispute with one of our neighbours, all of Europe is in trouble and that includes us. Agreed by all UN countries!
NATO's aspirations are to go back to the sixties, when they had their HQ slam bang in the middle of the Med. without paying a penny and without having any say in what they were doing!
Malta is of strategic importance. Is that so? I remember Carrington telling Mintoff in 1971, that Malta’s importance as a strategic place has long gone. Mintoff replied. “Hallas u aqbez il-barra wara Marzu 1979”
Min tnellah b'min?