US Navy ship docks at Eritrea’s Massawa port
MASSAWA, Eritrea, Feb 19, 2005 (ERINA) — The American naval ship, USS Juneau, docked at the port of Massawa on 17 February.
Maj-Gen Haile Samuel, commander of Operation Zone 4; chief of staff of the Eritrean naval force, Brig-Gen Fitsum Gebrehiwet, and other military commanders and the American ambassador to Eritrea, Mr Scott H DeLisi, welcomed the ship yesterday at the port of Massawa [in eastern Eritrea], which is on a two-day visit to the country.
After briefings given by the ship’s commanders about the ship and its activities, strengthening of bilateral relations of the two countries’ naval force and the fight against terrorism were discussed.
The Eritrean navy chief of staff, Brig-Gen Fitsum Gebrehiwet, disclosed Eritrea’s readiness to cooperate with the US naval force in maintaining peace and security in the Red Sea region and that it will continue its fight against terrorism. He added that the visit of the USS Juneau will promote further bilateral relations of both countries’ naval forces.
The commanding officer of the USS Juneau, Cap Ronald Horton, on his part, noted that Eritrea is playing a commendable role in the fight against terrorism and has peace loving-people.
About 30 crew members of the US naval ship on a tour of Massawa were impressed with the development activities under way in Massawa and its environs. As a result, they planted 400 mangrove trees and painted a public library in Twalet [an area within Massawa] and played a friendly match with the Eritrean navy’s football team.
The Juneau is only the second US Navy ship to make a port visit in Eritrea since 1997. The first was the USS Hopper in October 2004, also in Massawa.