Report by Zevonia Vieira
His Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Spey, the Royal Navy’s newest River Class Offshore Patrol Vessel, will visit Dili, Timor-Leste from 25 to 27 August 2023 to conduct cultural exchanges with the Timorese Navy and local students. This will be the first Royal Navy ship to visit Timor-Leste. HMS Spey is on a five-year deployment to the Indo-Pacific region alongside her sister ship, HMS Tamar. Working alongside allies and partners the ship is helping tackle a variety of security challenges and support nations against the impacts of climate change.
HMS Spey is the ‘greenest’, most environmentally friendly ship in the Royal Navy due to the catalytic converters fitted to the funnel uptakes to reduce CO2 emissions. She recently conducted patrols to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, as well as carrying out environmental surveys. On 25 August, the Commanding Officer of HMS Spey Lt Cdr Matthew Millyard will welcome on board the newly appointed British Ambassador to Timor-Leste Dominic Jermey and His Excellency President José Ramos-Horta for the official reception.
British Ambassador (Designate) to Timor Leste Dominic Jermey said:
“Building strong, enduring partnerships with Timor-Leste is at the heart of the UK’s mission here. HMS Spey is a physical demonstration of the UK’s commitment to deepening diplomatic, economic and security ties with Timor-Leste and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
I am very pleased to say that HMS Spey is the greenest ship in the Royal Navy and has been working closely with countries across this region on important areas such as climate change. Timor-Leste matters to the UK because of its strategic location and its climate and economic vulnerability. I look forward to welcoming our colleagues and stakeholders from Timor-Leste including His Excellency President José Ramos-Horta on board HMS Spey”.
HMS Spey’s Commanding Officer Lt Cdr Matthew Millyard said:
“The Royal Navy has not visited Dili for over 20 years, and the Ship’s Company and I are very excited to experience the culture of this beautiful country. This visit is also a great opportunity for us to take on the fresh stores and fuel we need to keep HMS Spey at sea on our mission operating throughout the Asia-Pacific region. We are very grateful for the hospitality shown by the Timorese people”.