The Chief of Defence Staff pays a visit to Operation Atalanta's HQ

• This is the first visit that Admiral López Calderón has made to the OHQ since he was appointed CHOD

The Chief of Defence Staff (CHOD), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, visited the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) of Operation Atalanta this Tuesday in Rota (Cádiz).

The CHOD referred to the operation as "the European Union's most successful", in a changing and extremely complex scenario, around whose axis the centre of gravity of world geo-strategy pivots.

During the presentation, the global framework of the operation was emphasised, highlighting its importance for sectors such as the shipping industry and the relevance of the EU's common effort in support of the World Food Programme (WFP).

Likewise, the OHQ analysts described to the CHOD the secondary missions of Operation Atalanta, such as the implementation, in permanent coordination with the main international actors, of military assistance projects for the training of Somali police and military units, as well as a cultural approach to Somali society through meetings with tribal leaders and collaboration activities with the most needy sectors of the population.

The CHOD, for his part, thanked the OHQ personnel for their work and for being "a tangible example of the EU's commitment to international peace".

During his stay in Rota, the Admiral General also visited the ship "Juan Carlos I", where he attended a presentation by the Admiral of the Fleet (ALFLOT), Admiral Eugenio Díaz del Río, and witnessed an exercise with Harrier aircraft.