NATO Naval Group to Port in La Goulette, Tunisia
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A NATO naval group to port at La Goulette, Tunis
A NATO naval group, SNMCMG2, will dock at the harbor of La Goulette, the northern suburb of Tunis from February 9-13, 2012.
The flagship ”Mehmetpasa”, will be accompanied by four minesweepers coming from various NATO member-nations:
• ITS Alghero – a minesweeper affiliated with the Italian Navy
• ESPS Turia – a minesweeper affiliated with the Spanish Navy
• TCG Akcakoca – a minesweeper affiliated with the Turkish Navy
• HMS Ledbury – a minesweeper affiliated with the British Navy
Captain Abdulhamit Sener from the Turkish Navy is leading the SNMCMG2, and will also chair a press conference scheduled for Friday, February 10th, on board the flagship “Mehmetpasa.”
The mission of this NATO group is to protect shipping lanes against the threat of sub-surface mines. Their secondary mission is to conduct scientific research about the Tunisian marine environment.
This visit will provide the NATO crew with an opportunity to communicate the nature of their activities to Tunisian authorities and visit historical and cultural sites of Tunis and its suburbs as well.
The relations between Tunisia and NATO date back to 1994, when Tunisia joined the NATO Mediterranean Dialogue – a forum of cooperation between NATO and seven non-NATO countries on the Mediterranean. The forum aims at “contributing to regional security and stability, achieving better mutual understanding and dispelling any misconceptions about NATO among dialogue countries,” according to the mission statement posted on NATO’s website.
