The high level of operational effectiveness achieved between the armed forces of the two states was witnessed first-hand by Dutch Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop last weekend.
The minister visited the Dutch warship Johann de Witt, to which the AFM Vessel Protection Detachment has been deployed to participate in the EU military operation EU NAVFOR Atalanta to contribute to the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
Following his visit to the ship, Mr Middelkoop visited Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in Valletta.
“As an island nation state that is dependent on free and unencumbered sea lines of communication, Malta welcomes and supports the important contribution that the European Union gives to global maritime security,” Dr Gonzi said.
EUNAVFOR Atalanta, he said, was proving to be an effective tool in the EU’s comprehensive engagement in favour of security and stability in Somalia and the wider region.
“Malta thanks the Dutch Government for the opportunity extended to the AFM to contribute to such EU engagement and looked forward to continue future combined Maltese-Dutch anti-piracy deployments,” he said.
Mr Middelkoop emphasised the importance of EU co-operation. He was also favourably impressed with what he witnessed on the Johan de Witt in the Gulf of Aden.
Maltese soldiers, he said, completely integrated with the Dutch team.
“I was impressed by their professionalism," he said.
The Maltese Vessel Protection Team on board the Dutch warship was deployed on various occasions to protect vulnerable merchant ships that were transporting humanitarian cargo to Somalia.
The same AFM team also contributed to operations organised by the Dutch Warship off the Somali coast to deter and disrupt pirates from deploying to sea, participated in confidence building with the local fishing community missions, and key leader engagement tasks with the some countries surrounding the area of operations.
This was the first time that the Armed Forces of Malta deployed troops in theatre on a military EU-led crisis management operation
Watch video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FA_PvJ6TM