Italian ship visits Oman on goodwill trip

Muscat: Oman’s long and storied fishing history and prominence as a seaport of the ancient world is what has endeared the commander of the Italian frigate ITS Carabiniere to the Sultanate.
“As a sailor, what endears me most to the Sultanate of Oman is the vocation of its people as fishermen,” said Commander Francesco Pagnotta. “To depend on the sea as a primary source of livelihood shows how close a bond the people of Oman can have with it, and as someone who needs to form a strong relation with the sea myself, I completely understand and respect that.”
“The Omani people have always been warm and respectful towards anyone and this country is like no other in the region,” he added. “I look forward to meeting with the citizens of this beautiful nation while we are here.”
Pagnotta was speaking at a reception held on board the Carabiniere, which is currently touring Australia, South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa as part of the Marina Militare’s (the Italian Navy’s) efforts to foster goodwill and seek alliances with countries in the region to promote a closer understanding of security and better diplomatic cooperation in the future.
The frigate, which until last year was part of the international fleet that was stationed in the Gulf of Aden to combat international piracy, left her home port of La Spezia in Italy in December 2016. Since then, the ship has visited Australia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan, to mention a few of the 16 stops scheduled on this tour.
Oman is their latest stop, and the first in the Middle East, with the fleet headed for Abu Dhabi, Manama, Doha and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council soon afterwards, before returning home via Djibouti.
The ship, which specialises in anti-submarine warfare, also played host to Giorgio Visetti, the ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Oman, who was quick to stress the need for international cooperation during the times we live in.
“The situation in Europe has changed significantly in the last few years, with the conflict in the Middle East and parts of Africa bringing many refugees right to our doorstep,” he said.
“Europe has always been a very important player in world affairs, and now more than ever, the European countries need to be closer than ever.
“But to truly have international cooperation, we must also look to our allies overseas,” added Visetti. “Only if we work together will we have true peace, which is a goal that everybody must work towards. Oman has always been an example of stability and cooperation in the region, and we thank the Sultanate for the good work they have done in maintaining good diplomatic relations with everyone.”
The Carabiniere was in Oman from April 11 to 15, and was one of two Italian naval vessels stationed in Oman. Another ship had made a visit to the Port of Salalah in the south.