Pakistan announced Monday (Feb. 8) that it will host naval forces from 45 countries, including the United States, Communist China and Russia, in joint military exercises in the North Arabian Sea later this month.
This will be the first Time in a decade that Russian naval vessels will participate in the exercise along with several NATO members.
Officials said the purpose of the biennial “Peace” (AMAN) multinational exercise in Pakistani waters is to promote international cooperation to combat piracy, terrorism and other criminal activities that threaten maritime security and stability.
“The ‘Peace’ exercise is designed to bridge divides and make it possible to act together in pursuit of common goals,” Pakistan’s fleet commander, Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf, said Monday.
An official statement quoted him as saying that the participating countries would bring their “surface and air equipment, special forces and maritime teams” to the military exercise.
Under the banner of “Together for Peace,” the military exercises will also include the United Kingdom, Turkey, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and countries from the African Union.
Russia and NATO
Russia last participated in joint military exercises with NATO members in 2011. At that time, Russia participated in the Bold Monarch exercise held in the waters off Spain.
NATO’s relationship with Moscow has since deteriorated due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea under Ukrainian rule in 2014. Ashraf said, “Pakistan considers maritime security to be of great importance not only for itself but for all those countries whose prosperity and progress is firmly linked to the sea.”
China and Pakistan
He stressed that Pakistan’s trade and infrastructure development projects with financial and technical assistance from China are “extremely dependent” on the sea, which “makes maritime stability” “an important agenda for our national security “.
The multibillion-dollar cooperation project, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is seen as a key component of Beijing‘s global “Belt and Road” initiative.
The project has cemented economic ties between the two allies in recent years. The two countries have traditionally maintained close military ties.
Pakistan’s chief of naval staff certified last week that the navy will bring in eight submarines and four frigates from China.
Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi told China’s Global Times, “Naval cooperation between the two countries has been enhanced through the purchase of F-22P frigates, missile attack speedboats, helicopters and state-of-the-art survey ships.”
Niyazi said, “In addition, the Pakistan Navy has signed an agreement with China to build eight ‘Hangoor’ class submarines, four Type 054A/P frigates and medium-altitude, long-endurance combat Drones.”
On Monday, the Pakistani army received the first batch of vaccines for the Chinese Communist virus donated by the Chinese Communist Army.
However, the vaccine will be included in the ongoing campaign to vaccinate medical personnel across Pakistan.
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