KARACHI: The five-day multinational naval exercise hosted by Pakistan Navy has begun in Gulf Sea on Monday, aiming at to enhance expertise for controlling sea terrorism, Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.
The forces from other countries including Australia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the UAE, the UK and the US are also participating in the exercise, Peace Drills 2013.
In a press conference in Karachi on Sunday, Commander of Pakistan Fleet, Rear Admiral Hasham Bin Siddiq, said Pakistan’s neighbours, India and Iran, will not be involved in the exercise in any way.
“Until we achieve a level of trust, there will be no combined exercises between us,” he explained.
About Iran’s absence, he pointed out that inviting other countries was decided on a much higher level like the federal ministries of foreign affairs and defence.
The exercise, which would be observed by some 21 countries, would conclude on March 8.
DND
