Major Johnson expresses excitement
The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and the Italian Navy have signed an Accession Agreement making Liberia the newest member of the multinational Trans-Regional Maritime Network (T-RMN).
The accession agreement was signed between AFL Chief of Staff Major General Prince Charles Johnson, III, and the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Admiral Enrico Credendino.
The T-RMN collaboration brings together 38 maritime countries including Italy, Australia, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Senegal, Spain, and Germany, among others.
It is an operational network that uses modern technology and naval assets to mitigate threats to maritime.
According to a press release, the signing agreement was witnessed by Maritime Commissioner, Lenn Eugene Nagbe, in Venice, Italy, on the margins of the 13th edition of the Trans-Regional Seapower Symposium.
The Accession signified that the Liberia Coast Guard (LCG) and the Liberia Maritime Authority will enhance their ability to monitor the country’s vast territorial waters.
They will boost maritime security as well as improve the situation awareness of the maritime domain and merchant traffic in the Gulf of Guinea and globally.
On behalf of the Liberia Coast Guard and Armed Forces of Liberia, Major General Johnson expressed excitement and happiness over Liberia’s membership.
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In a special remark at the program, Gen. Johnson commended the Italian Navy for its leadership in providing the proper mechanism to address some of the challenges the world is facing.
He stressed the need for multilateral agreements and cooperation which are necessary due to the large traffic in the ocean that a single nation cannot monitor.
He added that through partnership, they can mitigate challenges.
For his part, the Liberia Maritime Authority Commissioner Eugene Nagbe said Liberia’s participation will greatly enhance maritime security in its territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea.
He noted that the Gulf of Guinea is currently plagued by piracy and other transnational crime.
Criminal activities in the Gulf of Guinea pose a significant threat to lives and global trade. This global program will go a long way to curtail the threat.
Also speaking after the signing, Admiral Credendino said Liberia is an important and critical addition due to its strategic location, and its position as a major flag and port state.
“By joining T-RMN, Liberia has completed a key part of the link,” he said.
At the same time, Liberia also became a member of the Trans Regional Maritime Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Center (V-RMN) after a unanimous consensus gathered by the Italian Navy.
This was a result of the AFL’s commitment through the Liberia Coast Guard to enforce maritime security in the Liberian waters and to partake in national, regional, and global maritime security conferences, seminars, workshops, symposiums, and exercises as it relates to protecting the Gulf of Guinea.–Press release
