Saudi Arabia important as Red Sea is its front yard, says chief of EU naval mission
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is an important regional power that needs to be kept informed of security operations in the Red Sea, Rear Adm. Vasileios Gryparis, commander of the EU military mission EUNAVFOR Aspides, has told Arab News.
The EU on Feb. 19 last year launched a maritime security operation, EU Naval Force Operation Aspides, in response to escalating Iran-backed Houthi attacks on warships and merchant vessels in the Red Sea, northwestern Indian Ocean, and the Gulf.
In an interview with Arab News, Gryparis, who was in Riyadh as part of a regional tour, said that the Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, were important to help safeguard the freedom of navigation in the region.
He said: 'Among the very important countries in the area is Saudi Arabia. So, my intention here is to inform the Kingdom about what we are doing.
'Because the Red Sea, where we operate, is the front yard of the Kingdom, we believe and we are honest in that we have to inform all the countries in the area that what we do is benefiting everybody.'
He thanked the Gulf Cooperation Council countries' authorities for their involvement in the MV Sounion tanker operation which helped to prevent 150,000 tonnes of oil from being spilled into the Red Sea.
He said: 'This was dealing with probably an imminent environmental disaster. It's one of the reasons for this visit, and also to thank the GCC authorities for their contribution.'
Commenting on Operation Aspides' role in regional maritime security, he added: 'It is crucial to build up the confidence of the shipowners and the shipping companies, and (that) they return gradually to their original trade. Of course, we are talking about civilians that are not used to being threatened in this way.'
He said that the actions of the force were 'not only protecting the livelihoods of countries in the area, but also the lives of the local people.'
He added: 'You can imagine that if we had had an oil spill from the MV Sounion tanker, this would have been three to four times worse than the Exxon Valdez oil spill, a major environmental disaster in Alaska in 1989.'
On the challenges posed by the Houthis, Gryparis said: 'It is important to allow the shipping industry to understand that somebody is caring for them.
'We don't mind about the nationality of the seafarers, because we believe in the freedom of navigation and the value of human life, so we are protecting exactly those values.'
Yemen's maritime borders became a battleground in a wider regional and international power play following the start of the conflict in Gaza.
The Houthis have hindered maritime traffic through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, which provides access to the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
On continuing the operation and its resulting challenges, Gryparis said: 'This (the operation) is going to be here until this problem is solved.'
He added: 'We are not allowed to enter the territorial seas and the airspace of Yemen. And any kinetic action that we take should always be necessary, proportionate and limited to the internal channel.'
The EU Council has recently extended the mandate of the maritime security operation until February 2026.
Gryparis said: 'They trusted me and my operation that we are delivering. So, they understood the results that we have provided so far.
'They understood that the problem has not been solved yet, and they gave us extra time in order to reach the goal.
'Besides that, they entrusted me and my operation with new tasks. So, that means that they have good confidence in our capabilities.'
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