NATO Deputy SecGen Geoana tours 'Lt. Lupu Dinescu' minesweeper in Odessa

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana on Wednesday toured the "Lt. Lupu Dinescu" minesweeper of the Standing NATO Maritime Counter Measures Group that stopped over in the port of Odessa, Ukraine, according to the Defence Ministry (MApN). 

Geoana, together with a delegation made up of ambassadors of the North Atlantic Council, held talks with the Romanian crew about the missions the Romanian Navy is carrying out in the Black Sea with their partners and about the contribution of Romania to ensuring the security measures on NATO's eastern flank. 

"We are honored to have been welcomed by you on board this Romanian ship. I want to congratulate you, on my behalf and on behalf of my colleagues, on your courage, devotion and patriotism in participating in this mission. Rest assured you that the whole alliance is proud of you. I am convinced that you will have beautiful careers because I see in you, men and women, future leaders of the Army of Romania and the alliance. I wish you success in your mission,'' Geoana told the Romanian military. 

The missions in the Black Sea of the Standing NATO Maritime Counter Measures Group aim to increase the level of interoperability among the participating forces in the areas of disembarkation of combat troops and in the fight against sea mines. Mine hunters the "ESPS SELLA" of Spain, the "BGS SHKVAL" of Bulgaria and the "Lt. Lupu Dinescu" minesweeper are scheduled to stop over in the ports of Constanta and Odessa. 

The "Lt. Lupu Dinescu" is commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Ionut Diaconu and has a crew of 70 soldiers.