President’s thanks for making Nauru safer

The President of Nauru, Lionel Aingimea, thanked the Royal Australian Navy for its efforts on Operation Render Safe during a visit to HMAS Canberra on August 18.

CAPTION: Commander Patricia Kemp, Lieutenant Commander Wesley Truscott, President of Nauru Lionel Aingimea, Dr Helen Cheney and Commanding Officer HMAS Canberra Captain Jace Hutchison on board Canberra. Story by Lieutenant Nancy Cotton. Photo by Leading Seaman Matthew Lyall.

Canberra has been supporting Operation Render Safe – the disposal of unexploded ordnance. It is a continuation of the first Operation Render Safe mission undertaken in Nauru in 2020.

Accompanied by Australian High Commissioner to Nauru Helen Cheney, President Aingimea embarked Canberra via a Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter following an aerial tour of Nauru.

During a tour of the ship, President Aingimea watched an MH-60R refuelling before taking off from the flight deck.

“The flight was fantastic. We were very well looked after and the view was great,” President Aingimea said.

During the tour the guests visited key operational areas of the ship, including the role performed by 2 Enhanced Hospital, which has been on standby.

“I understand the medical team flew to Hawaii to meet the ship especially for Render Safe. Thank you very much, I really appreciate that,” President Aingimea said.

President Aingimea and Dr Cheney enjoyed a luncheon with Canberra’s command team before departing from the ship’s dock on an Army riverine patrol craft from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

Operation Render Safe continues Australia’s longstanding cooperation with its Pacific family to safely dispose of World War 2-vintage explosive remnants of war and promote community safety awareness around unexploded ordnance.

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