American, Russian and Chinese ships will be part of a multinational naval exercise Pakistan is hosting in the Arabian Sea from Friday.
The five-day exercise codenamed “Aman-17” (Peace 17) will feature warships from 36 countries, with the participation of major world and regional powers indicating international interest in the region.
Pakistan Navy says the biennial exercise will help raise awareness about naval affairs and boost coordination between different navies.
A senior Naval official said four US vessels will take part in the exercise, also to be partipcated by the UK, France, Japan Indonesia, Australia, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
Commander of the Pakistani Fleet, Vice Admiral Arifullah Hussaini told journalists the exercise helps the international community to coordinate efforts on combating terrorism, human, arms and drug trafficking.
Pakistani naval ships play an important role in ensuring free sea trade in the Gulf of Aden.
“This region, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, is very important as well as complex. It is from here that the world’s oil is transported,” he remarked.
According to the vice admiral, the Aman-17 exercise seeks to promote inter-operability and does not in any way signal a preparation of war.
“We will ensure that our international interests are not jeopardized. We are not into escalating adventurism at sea. Pakistan is committed to international peace,” he said, according to a media account vis-a-vis Pakistan-India equation in the key area.
Pakistan has been organizing such naval exercises since 2007 every other year.
