Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete visited Africa Partnership Station (APS) East platforms High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) and USS Nicholas (FFG 47) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, January 23, 2010, to meet with sailors and learn m ore about APS.

Also in attendance was U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, Alfonso Lenhardt, and Tanzanian Navy Commander, Major General Said Omar.

During his visit, the President expressed his appreciation towards the APS program.

"The waters belong to all of us and it is everyone's responsibility to develop the skills necessary to stop illegal activity. Africa Partnership Station is helping Tanzania to continue to build its maritime capacity," said Kikwete. "I am very grateful to the United States and its partners for this program. I am committed to this program and continue to help develop stability and maritime security here."

Kikwete's first stop was aboard Nicholas where he was welcomed aboard by the APS international staff and received a brief on APS in the ship's wardroom by Captain James Tranoris, commander, APS East.

Following the brief, Kikwete received a tour of both Nicholas and Swift. Upon completion of his tour on Swift, the President was greeted with a song by children from the Kidz Care orphanage who came aboard to thank APS Sailors for their hard work at their home earlier in the week and tour the ship.

APS East arrived in Tanzania on Monday and immediately began conducting training and maritime exchanges between APS Sailors and members of the Tanzanian Navy.

More than 130 members of the Tanzanian Navy received maritime training in basic ground skills, instructional theory, law of war/ethics, medical response, pier security, small boat maintenance, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) culminating in a graduation ceremony on Friday.

Swift and Nicholas will visit ports in Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mozambique and Tanzania. The ships bring teams of maritime experts from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps and will provide training and participate in exercises with their African counterparts in order to further develop maritime safety and security in the region.

Swift and Nicholas are on scheduled deployments within the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. APS East is being conducted in cooperation with Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa, a component of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).