EUNAVFOR MED and the Italian “Guardia di Finanza” sign a technical agreement on the Libyan training
Italian Guardia di Finanza contribution for the ongoing training by the EU maritime forces of the Libyan Navy Coast Guard and Libyan Navy.
Today 30 January, EUNAVFOR MED Operation Commander, Rear Admiral (UH) Enrico Credendino and the Commander of the Italian “Guardia di Finanza” General Staff, Major General Giuseppe Zafarana, signed a technical agreement on the “Guardia di Finanza” contribution for the ongoing training by the EU maritime forces of the Libyan Navy Coast Guard and Libyan Navy.
The agreement is the result of the joint and common efforts to cooperate against human smuggling and trafficking.
The training will enhance Libyan Coastguard and Navy capability to perform coastguard functions and the ability to perform search and rescue activities to save lives in Libyan territorial waters, in order to improve security in Libyan territorial waters.
The “Guardia di Finanza” will train, on board Italian patrol boats in international waters, the Libyan Navy Coast Guard and Libyan Coast Guard, in order to get them to know patrol vessels with specific coastguard role.
The training will be carried out in 8 sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening, for four days, to be defined on meteorological condition basis.
Last 20 June 2016, the Council extended until 27 July 2017 operation SOPHIA’s mandate reinforcing it by adding two supporting tasks: the training of the Libyan Navy Coast Guard and Libyan Navy, and the contribution to the implementation of the UN arms embargo on the high seas off the coast of Libya, in accordance with the UNSCR 2292 (2016).
