The French Navy accompanied by the French Defence attachee in Senegal Col. Troistorff on Monday 11 March 2019 had a bilateral meeting with the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Commodore Madani Senghore and officers of the Naval Command in Banjul.
During the meeting, discussions were made on possible areas of cooperation between the 2 Navies such as; training of personnel on capacity building,improvement of the maintenance and fabrication workshops,participation of The Gambia Navy in exercises organized by the French.
Meanwhile, the French Offshore Patrol Vessel Commandant Birot deployed on the Corymbe mission since February 2019 of the western coasts of Africa held a Press Conference at the port of Banjul on 11 March 2019.
Lieutenant-Commander Maxime LEROY, commanding officer of the Commandant Birot received the press aboard the vessel on Monday to discuss its deployment, specifically the maritime exercises conducted within the waterside countries of the Gulf of Guinea.
It is important to note that a French ship has been deployed on the Corymbe mission almost permanently in the Gulf of Guinea since 1990. The mission has two major objectives; to participate in the protection of French interests in the area and to participate in the reduction of maritime insecurity, by helping western coast of Africa navies to strengthen their capacity for action in the areas of maritime security and surveillance.
Speaking at the conference, the Navy Commander Col Sambou Barrow said it is important to note that the cooperation is important as it enables navy personnel familiarize themselves with the equipment and facilities on board. He also said the importance of the visit cannot be over emphasized as it will foster the already existing bilateral relations.
