AllAfrica Editors' note: Fifty-one naval vessels from 23 nations are carrying out a joint exercise to improve security in the Gulf of Guinea. This briefing was organised by the U.S. State Department with senior American and Ghanaian naval officers:
MODERATOR: Greetings to everyone from the U.S. Department of State's Africa Regional Media Hub. First of all we would like to apologize for the delay in getting started with the call today. I would like to welcome our callers who have dialed in from across Africa. Today, we are joined by Navy Captain John Rinko, Officer in Tactical Command of Exercise of Obangame Express 2015 and Ghana Navy Commodore Mark Yawson. Captain Rinko and Commodore Yawson, who will be speaking to us from Africa, Ghana, excuse me, from Accra, Ghana, will discuss the Obangame Express 2015 Exercise. We will begin with remarks from Captain Rinko, next we will have opening remarks by Commodore Yawson. We will then open it up to questions.For those of you listening to the call in English, please press *1 on your phone to join the question queue. If you are using a speakerphone, you may need to pick up the headset before entering *1. For those of you listening to the call in French we have received some of your questions submitted by email in advance and you may continue to submit your questions in English via email to afmediahub@state.gov.Today's call is on the record and will last approximately 45 minutes. And with that I'll turn it over to our speakers. Captain Rinko.
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