NATO to Open Counter-Piracy Office in Djibouti
Aiswarya Lakshmi
Friday, April 24, 2015
NATO and Djibouti have enhanced their cooperation by signing an agreement to establish a NATO liaison office in Djibouti in support of the Alliance's counter piracy operation, Ocean Shield, in the Gulf of Aden.
NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Ambassador Francesca Tardioli, and the Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, signed the agreement.
According to a NATO statement, the establishment of a liaison office will facilitate greater operational, logistical and administrative coordination.
It will also provide the basis for further dialogue between NATO and the Republic of Djibouti on potential partnership activities in areas of common and mutual interest, including the maritime dimension.
It noted that "Djibouti is an active regional partner" in the international efforts to prevent and deter the threat of piracy. It is also a strong supporter of the NATO Ocean Shield operation which was first established in August 2009 and has been subsequently renewed. The current mandate will run until the end of 2016.