Italy, France, Greece vying to lead EU Red Sea ‘Aspides’ mission
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Italy, France, and Greece are vying to lead the new EU Aspides mission to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, a senior European official said Tuesday.
The final choice will be made known at the informal Defence Council in Brussels Wednesday, he said.
In the meantime, the count of the personnel needed to set up the mission has been completed, with means and men from seven European countries, which will provide the three ships requested by the EU’s External Action Service to have the necessary impact in the area.
In addition to the ships, the seven will reportedly also provide aircraft, said the official. Aspides will complement US and UK efforts to stem attacks from the Yemen-based Iran-backed rebels on ships in the Red Sea.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday he was hopeful it could be decided later in the day which member state could lead the upcoming EU mission to protect vessels in the Red Sea, adding this operation could be launched before mid-February.
“We have to decide which country will take the command, where the headquarters will be and what navy assets the member states will provide,” he said before the start of an EU Defence ministers meeting, adding he hopes that today it will be decided who will take the lead.
“Not all member states will be willing to participate but no one will obstruct (..) I hope that on the 17th of (February) the mission can be launched,” Borrell said.
He added the operation will be named Aspides, “which means protector”.
(Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)
