By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - A six-day multinational naval exercise hosted by Pakistan ended in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday.
With the participation of some 45 countries, including the US, Russia, China, and Turkey, the drill – a biannual affair since 2007 – ended with the closing ceremony attended by Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi, the country’s three services chiefs, ministers, and foreign diplomats, according to a Pakistan Navy statement.
Speaking at the ceremony, Alvi emphasized the exercise will pave the way to make the region more peaceful and secure with combined efforts by all stakeholders.
Organized under the slogan, “Together for Peace,” the drill was aimed at “fostering international cooperation to fight piracy, terrorism, and other crimes” which pose a threat to maritime security and stability.
Significantly, this is the first time Russia has joined a military drill with NATO members in a decade. The last such time was in 2011, in the Bold Monarch 2011 exercise off the coast of Spain.
Regional countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia as well as African Union member states also took part in the drill with their "surface and air assets" and maritime teams, according to the Pakistan Navy.