ADMIRAL LAGHMARI ROYAL MOROCCAN NAVY INSPECTOR FIRST SESSION CHAIRMAN CLOSING SPEECH

Transcription

1 ADMIRAL LAGHMARI ROYAL MOROCCAN NAVY INSPECTOR FIRST SESSION CHAIRMAN CLOSING SPEECH ADMIRAL BRANCIFORTE, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, ADMIRALS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE CHALLENGES FACING THE MARITIME DOMAIN HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY AND CRITICALLY OVER THE LAST DECADE AND MAKE FUTURE SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT BY NAVAL, COASTGUARD AND THE SHIPPING TRADE. THE PROMINENCE AFTER 9/11 GAVE US AN IDEA THAT TERRORISTS WILL EXPLOIT ACCESS TO OPEN SEAS, PORTS AND LITTORALS IN ORDER TO PERPETRATE CATASTROPHIC ATTACKS USING SHIPS AS WEAPONS, AND DIVERSE AND CONSTANTLY EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES AND ATTACK METHODS. AS A MATTER OF FACT TO COUNTER THIS THREAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE AND SECURE OUR WATERS. ONE OF THE STEPS TOWARDS THIS VITAL OBJECTIVE IS ACHIEVING GREATER MARITIME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ON THE CONCLUSION OF THIS FAMOUS AND OUTSTANDING SYMPOSIUM, INDEED REMARKABLY ORGANIZED, I FEEL PROUD TO DECLARE THAT A WORKSHOP OF INSPIRED IDEAS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED DURING THE FIRST SESSION THAT I HAD THE PLEASURE TO CHAIR. IN THIS PANEL, DISTINGUISHED REPRESENTATIVES OF BRAZIL, BULGARIA, GEORGIA, INDIA, TURKEY AND SWEDEN SHARED THEIR PROFICIENT EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO: DIALOGUE & COOPERATION CONTRIBUTING TO MARITIME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. 1

2 FIRST OF ALL LET ME SUMMARIZE SOME KEY POINTS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE FIRST SESSION S PRESENTATIONS. 1. ADMIRAL JULIO SOARES DE MOURA NETO COMMANDER OF THE BRAZILAN NAVY GAVE US, AN IDEA ON THE BRAZILIAN NAVY APPROACH, WHICH IS VERY PLEASED TO TAKE PART IN THE MARITIME SHARING INFORMATION AND ALREADY IS SUCCEEDING IN THE BLUE AMAZON EXPERIENCE. HE STRESSED ON THE NEED TO REVISE THE INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATION UNCLOS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FOR THE ASPECT OF MARITIME SECURITY WITHOUT PREJUDICING FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION AND THE UNITED NATIONS. HE SHARES THE BRAZILIAN NAVY DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLEX SYSTEM TO MONITOR BRAZILIAN LEGAL WATERS, "BLUE AMAZON" AS A WAY OF MAKING THE SOCIETY MORE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE AND RICHNESS OF THE MARITIME AREA. 2. REAR ADMIRAL PLAMEN MANUSHEV CHIEF OF BULGARIAN NAVY: HAS HANDED OVER THAT MSA IS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE. THE BULGARIAN PERCEPTION ON MSA AS THE COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF THE MARITIME SITUATION THAT INCREASES EFFECTIVENESS ON CULTURAL AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE SHARING, AND ALSO THE BULGARIAN EXPERIENCE AS THE NAVY, THE BORDER POLICE AND THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATIONS, THAT WERE IN THE NEAR PAST FORMER COMPETITORS AND NOW BECOME CURRENT PARTNERS. HE FINALLY UNDERLINED THAT SHARED KNOWLEDGE IS AN ENABLER FOR NETWORK CENTRIC. 2

3 3. MAJOR GENERAL ZAZA GOGAVA DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERIOR-HEAD OF BORDER POLICE OF GEORGIA: DECLARED THAT SEAS AND OCEANS FACILITATE ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES, WHICH WE HAVE TO FACE. THOSE THREATS THAT SOME OF THEM WILL REMAIN, AND YET OTHERS WILL DISAPPEAR, OVERCOME BY TECHNOLOGY AND GEOPOLITICAL CHANGES. AS PROMINENT ACTOR OF THE MARITIME SECURITY IN GEORGIA, HE BELIEVES THAT THIS ISSUE REQUIRES CONFIDENCE, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND THE CAPACITY TO GATHER INFORMATION. 4. COMMODORE AJENDRA BAHADUR SINGH PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR NAVAL PLANS, OF THE INDIAN NAVY: BELIEVES THAT WE SHARE COMMON SECURITY AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS. THE INVOLVEMENT OF NAVIES AND COAST GUARDS. HE BROUGHT UP THE COWARD CASE OF TERRORIST ATTACK ON MUMBAI 26 NOVEMBER THUS PROVIDED AN UPDATE OF THE INITIATIVES IN THE INDIAN OCEAN AND DWELLED THE NEED OF MONITORING THE WHOLE VESSELS, NOT ONLY THOSE UP TO 300 GROSS TONNAGE. HE DWELLED THE REGIONAL MSA AND THE EXAMPLE OF MILAN, WHICH IS THE HINDI WORD FOR 'TRYST' OR 'MEETING' AND BY WHICH FOURTEEN MARITIME NATIONS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE REGIONAL MSA. IN ADDITION TO THE INDIAN OCEAN NAVAL SYMPOSIUM (IONS) SEEKING COOPERATION OF 35 COASTAL STATES. AND FINALLY THE NEED OF A COMMAND CONTROL COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION NETWORK. 5. REAR ADMIRAL ANDERS GRENSTAD CHIEF OF SWEDISH NAVAL STAFF: TALKED ABOUT : - THE EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE AND ITS MARITIME OPERATIONAL CONCEPT (CHEN MOC) ENDORSED ON AUGUST 2010 ; - THE BALTIC SEA RECOGNIZED MARITIME PICTURE ; 3

4 - THE MUST S OF A SOUND MSA ARE POLITICAL MANDATE AND APPROPRIATE RESOURCES. AFTER DWELLING ON A TRUE STORY HE INTRODUCED THE SUCBAS INITIATIVE THAT INTEGRATES EIGHT BALTIC SEA STATES. MSA FOR HIM IS SORTING OUT RELEVANT INFORMATION GIVEN BY AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM, RADARS, CAMERAS, AIR & SURFACE ASSETS AND DATA ANALYSIS. 6. ADMIRAL ESREF UGUR YIGIT COMMANDER OF TURKISH NAVAL FORCES: EXCHANGED HIS EXPERIENCE ON MSA ARCHITECTURE. AS OF REGIONAL COOPERATION, NATIONAL JOINT MARITIME SECURITY AND SAFETY SYSTEM (NJMSSIS) + MSSIS + MCCIS + VRMTC ARE USEFUL. HE ALSO FOCUSED ON BLACK SEA- HARMONY AND MARITIME SECURITY INITIATIVES TO PROTECT SEA LANES OF COMMUNICATIONS (SLOC). FOR HIM? AS A LARGE CONTRIBUTOR IN MANY INITIATIVES, OPERATION ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR IS A MAJOR ENHANCER OF MSA. IN FACT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YET ALL THE PRESENTATIONS HAVE TALKED ABOUT REGIONAL INITIATIVES. BUT MANY QUESTIONS REMAIN ON GLOBAL MSA, WITH NO ANSWER. I CAN POINT OUT: - FIRST: WHO AND HOW TO FEDERATE THESE REGIONAL MARITIME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS INITIATIVES. IT IS SURE THAT A LOT OF COOPERATION IS ONGOING, LIKE MSSIS, THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION AND IMO ARE CONCERNED AND WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND MUST ASSUME AND LAY DOWN LEGAL FRAMEWORK THE UNCLOS AND THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK MUST CHANGE AND IMPROVED. BUT WE STILL DON T HAVE THE ANSWERS ; 4

5 - SECOND: WHAT TYPE OF DIFFICULTIES WE FACED WHEN COMING TO INTEGRATE SHARING INFORMATION LIKE BLACK SEA, V-RMTC, SUCBAS AND BLUE AMAZON SYSTEM. WHERE, BEYOND DIFFICULTIES LIKE LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND POLITICAL HURDLES, TECHNICAL INTEROPERABILITY IS NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR ALL CONTACTS. FURTHERMORE, I CAN UNDERLINE THAT THE SUBJECT HAS CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF ALL THE REPRESENTATIVES, SOME HAVE STRONGLY SUPPORTED IT, AND NOBODY WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE TRUTHFUL INTENTIONS OF THE EIGHTH RSS RECOMMENDATIONS SUBMITTED BY THE ITALIAN NAVY PRIOR TO THE SYMPOSIUM. TO TELL THE TRUTH I DEEPLY BELIEVE THAT NATIONS THAT DEPEND HEAVILY ON THE SEA FOR SURVIVAL WILL DO WHATEVER TO GO FORWARD IN INTEGRATING THE REGIONAL INITIATIVES IN A GLOBAL MSA. IN CONCLUSION, ADMIRALS, GENERALS, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT WE GET, HEREBY THIS SYMPOSIUM, THE SOUND, PROFESSIONAL AND THE REAL KNOWLEDGE THROUGH PROMINENT INITIATIVES IN ENHANCING OUR UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE ON PROMOTING DIALOGUE & COOPERATION FOR AN EFFICIENT MARITIME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ALL THE SPEAKERS AND THE AUDIENCE AGREE THAT THROUGH THIS EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WILL HELP US AND OUR POLITICAL LEADERS IN FACING THE CHALLENGES THAT LAY AHEAD ON US AS PROFESSIONALS AND AS SAILORS ON THIS CRITICAL ISSUE. DEAR FRIENDS, THE HISTORY WILL RETAIN THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE ITALIAN NAVY IN PROMOTING THESE SOUND AND INTERESTING SYMPOSIA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION. 5