LOC20:58
17:58 GMT
(With photos)
MANAMA, Jan 6 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Naval Force has handed the command of the
GCC's Combined Task Force (GCC-CTF 150) to the Royal Bahrain Naval Force
(RBNF) during a ceremony held at RBNF base on Thursday.
The ceremony was attended by Bahraini Minister of State for Defense Affairs
Sheikh Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, Commander of Kuwait Naval Force Staff
Vice Admiral Ahmad Al-Mulla and Commander of the US Naval Forces Central
Command Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox.
It was also attended by RBNF Commander Staff Rear Admiral Abdullah Saeed
Al-Mansouri, Consul of Kuwait Embassy in Manama Khalil Al-Enzi and US
Ambassador Adam Ereli, as well as dozens of representatives of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.
Addressing the ceremony, Al-Mulla expressed confidence that the Bahraini
leadership of the GCC-CTF 150 command would lead optimization of the military
cooperation among the six GCC states.
"We're sure that the Kingdom of Bahrain will spare no effort to realize the
noble objectives the task force was initiated for and add to the achievements
made over the last years," he said.
In a similar speech, Fox praised the great role being played by the GCC-CTF
150 in maintaining the security of the Arabian Gulf.
The task force plays a crucial role in preventing the different kinds of
maritime crimes, he noted.
On his part, Al-Mansouri renewed RBNF's commitment to cement military
cooperation with the naval forces of the GCC states, as well as other friendly
countries.
"This is the second term of RBNF leadership of the task force command," he
pointed out.
Initiated in 2004, the GCC-CTF 150 consists of 25 countries, including NATO
allies that share the concern for combating terrorism and piracy in Arabian
Gulf, the Gulf of Oman,the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the
Indian Ocean. (end)
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KUNA 062058 Jan 11NNNN