Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency donates hydrographic equipment to the FOCAHIMECA Project spearheaded by AMEXCID and the ACS

Last Tuesday, 11th October, the ceremony officially recognising the donation of hydrographic equipment by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency for the “Strengthening Hydrographic Capacities in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean Sea” (FOCAHIMECA) project, which is spearheaded by the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), in conjunction with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), was held. The FOCAHIMECA Project is one component of the Maritime Short Distance Transport (SDMT) initiative, one of the four pillars which is part of Mexico’s offer of cooperation to the Caribbean region. The objective of the SDMT initiative is to improve navigational security for commercial and tourist vessels between ports and to increase the efficiency of the navigational routes within the region. Gina Casar, the Executive Director of AMEXCID, presided over the ceremony and with the participation of Mr. Muhammed Ünal, Coordinator of TIKA Programmes in Mexico and C.G DEM. Commander, Fernando Angli Rodríguez, Deputy Director General of Oceanography, Hydrography and Meteorology of SEMAR, the document detailing receipt for equipment delivered, was signed. The FOCAHIMECA Project includes capacity building components (post graduate degrees, courses and workshops), as well as the collection of hydrographic information. In 2016, three workshops were held. These workshops were financed by AMEXCID and delivered by the hydrography specialists of SEMAR to technicians from Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. One additional workshop is scheduled to take place in November of this year. Furthermore, as of January 2017, six annual scholarships will be awarded for a Specialty in Hydrography Course. This programme will be offered by the Oceanographic Institute of the Gulf and Caribbean Sea in the city of Veracruz, Mexico.