Russian Federation Ship to Join Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR

Naples, Italy - 15 September 2006. NATO announced today that the North Atlantic Council has authorised the Russian Federation Ship Pitliviy to participate in NATOs Operation Active Endeavour (OAE). Following the NATO and Russian Exchange of Letters in December 2004 and three periods of dedicated training; the Pitliviy will sail from Aksaz, Turkey, where she is conducting a brief port visit.

Pitliviy will conduct counter-terrorism operations in the Mediterranean while being fully integrated into the NATO naval task group monitoring shipping and possible threats under NATO operational control.

This is historic reunion of two partners - NATO and Russia – cementing their growing ties in an operational engagement at sea countering the common threat of maritime terrorism.

Operation Active Endeavour, under the command of Allied Maritime Component Commander Vice-Admiral Roberto Cesaretti, is part of NATOs maritime contribution to the fight against terrorism. Launched in October 2001, it continues to conduct surveillance and monitoring operations of the major shipping lanes of the Mediterranean. In 2004, NATO decided to enlist the support of partner nations, Mediterranean Dialogue countries and other selected nations. To date, Active Endeavour units have conducted over one hundred compliant boardings of merchant vessels at sea.

For further detailed information about OAE, please refer to the page http://www.jfcnaples.nato.int/JFCN_Operations/ActiveEndeavour/Endeavour.htm

Video clip (.WMV/6613Kb) available at http://www2.hq.nato.int/multi/video/2006/060918-russian-ship/v060918a.wmv