NATO ships complete their visit to the Black Sea

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 NATO's maritime interoperability with its member nations within the Black Sea and the exercises conducted there have reinforced NATO's maritime capability in this strategically important area of focus."

SOURCE: NATO

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