The Political and Security Committee has named Rear Admiral Stefano Barbieri (Italy) force commander for the EU’s counter-piracy operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta as of October 6.
Rear Admiral Barbieri will take over from Rear Admiral Alfonso Gómez Fernández de Córdoba who has been force commander since May 6, 2015.
Barbieri was previously deputy assistant of the chief of the Italian navy and the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier Cavour. From June 2014 to June 2015 he attended the naval Command course in the naval war college (Newport) and on July 1, 2015 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral.
The operation is part of the EU’s comprehensive approach against piracy in the Horn of Africa.
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Image: Italian Navy