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