Tema, Feb 06, GNA - Ghana Naval personnel are to receive training and support from the British Royal Navy to enable Ghana attain its aspiration of controlling its economic zone.

This was made known at a press briefing at Tema by Commander Henry Duffy, Commanding officer of "HMS Liverpool," a British Royal Navy Ship that docked at the Tema port on Monday for a five-day goodwill visit. Commander Duffy said four young Ghanaian Naval Officers joined the ship at Freetown for training and as part of the training course, Ghanaian students attending the inaugural Exclusive Economic Zone Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College would visit the ship.

He said while in Ghana, they would have talks with a delegation from the Ghana Staff College on Ghana's economic zone cooperation. Touching on projects to be undertaken during their stay in Ghana, the Commander Duffy said 90 of its crew members would be involved in building a children's play ground at Nkwanta in the Volta Region, construct and redecorate a needy school in Accra as well as building of an orphanage at Prampram.

Commander Duffy said HMS Liverpool was part of the Royal Navy's South Atlantic Patrol Force providing tangible UK maritime presence in the South Atlantic as well as providing a presence in West Africa in support of UN and UK interests.

He said the 130-meter HMS Liverpool, which is a type 42 (batch 2) destroyer, made its first stop at Freetown in Sierra Leone and would carry out joint manoeuvres with the Ghana Navy. Earlier, the Commander paid a courtesy call on the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr David Quaye Annang, and the Chief of Tema, Nii Adjei Kraku 11 where discussions centred on trade and tourism. An Auxiliary ship, R. F. A. Gold Rover, that provides supplies to the visiting ship, accompanied the HMS Liverpool. Present at the briefing was the British Ambassador, Mr Gordon Wetherell.