Displaying items by tag: Chernobyl Children's Project

8th September 2011

Roisin Returns from Russia

The Naval Service OPV L.E. Roisin (P51) arrived into Cork Harbour this morning after completing her foreign trade deployment to Finland, the Russian Federation and several Baltic states, writes Jehan Ashmore.

L.E. Roisin called to Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Riga. Her tour was organised by several government departments – defence, enterprise, trade and employment and foreign affairs. The Irish Embassy in these countries in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and Board Bia hosted events on board to promote trade, employment, enterprise and products in the region. To read more click HERE.

In addition the OPV delivered medical supplies on her visit to Riga, the Latvian capital, where the cargo was transported in aid of the Chernobyl Children's Project based in Belarus.

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Naval Service OPV On Visit to Russia and Baltic States

The Naval Service's OPV L.E. Roisin (P51) under the Command of Lt. Cdr. Peter Twomey is on a three-day visit to St. Petersburg in the Russian Federation, writes Jehan Ashmore.

L.E. Roisin is on a foreign trade deployment with calls to Helsinki, Tallinn and next Wednesday she is due to call to the Latvian capital Riga, where medical supplies are to be delivered on behalf of Adi Roche's Chernobyl Children's Project in Belarus, now in its 25th year of operations. Money to purchase the supplies were raised from a charity row-athon organised by the crew prior to departure.

Since Tuesday the offshore patrol vessel (OPV) has been berthed in the Baltic city of St. Petersburg. Her naval officers laid a wreath at the Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery. Also visited was the Central Naval Museum and the naval cruiser Aurora, where one of the first incidents of the 'October' Russian revolution took place in 1917.

Irish Ambassador to Russia Philip McDonagh boarded the L.E. Roisin yesterday to highlight Irish-Russian bi-lateral relationships and co-operation between the two countries in areas of economic, culture, education and tourism. In the first-half of 2010 bi-lateral trade with Russia was up 66% and St. Petersburg is the most important economic centre after Moscow.

The trade mission follows last year's visit of president Mary McAleese who became the first Irish head of state to visit Russia. On her visit which included St. Petersburg, she signed a protocol on partnership and co-operation between the Russian city and Dublin during the third St. Petersburg International Innovation Forum.

In March of this year representatives from St. Petersburg took part in the Russian Culture Festival in Dublin. Three months later in July, the Irish capital was visited by the Russian Naval destroyer Admiral Chabanenko (650), the flagship of the countries Northern Fleet. For more on that visit of the Udaloy –II class destroyer click HERE.

L.E. Roisin is not the first Irish Naval Service vessel to visit the Russian Federation as this accolade goes to the flagship L.E. Eithne (P31) which called to St. Petersburg in 2003.

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