NAF Honors Fifteen Filipino Seafarers
Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Erik Førner said that the mission to remove chemical weapons from Syria was of great importance for the civilians of Syria, the UN and for international peace and security. Hence, fifteen Filipino seafarers from MV Taiko were honoured with the Operation Medal from the Norwegian Armed Forces (NAF) on Thursday, marking the first time since World War 2 that non-Norwegian civilians were given the honor. The mission was carried out from December 2013 to July 2014, on behalf of the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
“Taiko was extremely exposed and vulnerable. The 15 seafarers ensured that hundreds of tons of chemical weapons were transported from Syria and safely destroyed,” Førner said. The Filipino crewmen were proud of the honor. Six more Filipino seafarers of the MV Taiko were appreciated during a ceremony in Norway in June this year. The maritime sector forges Philippine-Norwegian bilateral relations. More than 25,000 Filipino seafarers work in Norwegian-owned or controlled vessels at any time.
Source: ABS-CBN News
