NEWS RELEASE
NATO ships complete their visit to the Black
Sea
10 September 2008
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.
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 Borbón,
the German frigate, FGS Lübeck, 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 NATOÂ’s maritime
interoperability with its member nations within the Black Sea and the exercises
conducted there have reinforced NATOÂ’s maritime capability in this strategically
important area of focus.”
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Contact Information for Allied Component Command Maritime
Headquarters Northwood Public Affairs Office:
Tel: +44 (0)1923
843763
Mobile: +44 (0) 7747 008508
Email:
pio@manw.nato.int