Italian Aircraft Carrier, Cavour, on Tuesday docked at the Tema Harbour for a five-day visit to strengthen the existing bilateral relations between the two countries in the framework of Italy-Africa Initiative.
Aircraft Carrier Cavour under the command of Rear Admiral Paolo Treu would take part in humanitarian assistance, maritime security operations, training, confidence building, cooperation, naval diplomacy and the promotion of the Italian entrepreneurial excellence in the country.
According to Rear Admiral Treu, the training aspect would enable officers from Ghana and Italy to find common procedure in maintaining order in the Gulf of Guinea by fighting illegal activities such as piracy, drug trafficking, and smuggling.
He said teams made up of volunteer sailors aboard the Carrier capable of restoring buildings, fixing different kind of machinery, building wooden structures and other things would work in kindergartens, schools, orphanages and hospitals in the country.
Aircraft Carrier Cavour, he said, has 1200 sailors and marines including 100 women, and that the crew includes a naval group, a unique mix of hearts, minds and hands, working together and in synergy with personnel from non profitable organizations, Italian Red Cross and Red Crescent and Italian companies.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo, Minister of Defence, said the relations between these two countries remained strong and that he appreciated the continuous dialogue and bilateral cooperation these countries shared.
Mr. Woyongo said the West African maritime domain was inundated with many threats and vulnerabilities and unlawful acts such as drug trafficking, illegal bunkering, terrorism, child trafficking and piracy which hindered economic development, growth and a major recipe for the destabilization of some countries within the region.
He said irrespective of these daunting challenges, several organizations and countries within the region have stood out in the fight against insecurity stating that others had become beacons of inspiration and models of international best practices and outstanding performers in Security, Safety and Environmental issues.
He said it was in this respect that the Ghana Navy was adjudged the “Most developmentally conscious Navy in West Africa” for the year 2013 by the Security Watch African Magazine.
Mr. Woyongo said total security had never been possible even for the most powerful nations in the world and appealed to countries in the region to forge new partnerships, identify projects and support safety, security and development and also strengthen collaborative strategies in their respective domains.
Source: GNA
