Operation SOPHIA Force Commander visits Spanish frigate Reina Sofia before her farewell
Operation SOPHIA 
Force Commander yesterday 18 September paid a visit to the Spanish frigate Reina Sofia . This was the last visit on board the vessel before she ends her assignment in the operation, next 24th of September.
The Spanish helicopter AB 212 brought the Force Commander on board the Spanish ESPS Reina Sofia from the mission Flagship ITS Garibaldi , where the Force Commander controls the task force at sea. Welcomed by the Commanding Officer of the Spanish ship, the Force Commander extended to all Reina Sofia crew his personal appreciation for the outstanding job done during her deployment. The Force Commander underlined, whilst meeting the crew, the professionalism and the enthusiastic efforts in operation SOPHIA.
Reina Sofia is now transiting towards Augusta, to begin the handover with the Spanish frigate ESPS Navarra.
On the 20 June 2016, the Council of the European Union reinforced EUNAVFOR MED core mandate with two supporting tasks: the capacity building and training of, and information sharing with, the Libyan Coastguard and Navy, based on a request by the legitimate Libyan authorities taking into account the need for Libyan ownership; and the contributing to information sharing, as well as implementation of the UN arms embargo on the high seas off the coast of Libya on the basis of a new UN Security Council Resolution.
On the 30 August and the 6 September, the EU Political and Security Committee decided to formally commence the two above-mentioned supporting tasks.