45 countries join Aman-21 maritime exercise

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Forty-five countries have joined Pakistan’s Aman-21 maritime exercise which President Arif Alvi said is once again a demonstration of the country’s commitment to global cooperation.

On Twitter, the President said the naval exercise, was in line with the Government of Pakistan’s vision for regional peace and stability. “Congrats all participants on being part of this flagship event,” the President said.

Commander Pakistan Fleet Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf said around 45 countries have gathered for Aman-21, with one commitment of making seas safer for positive human activities, as the increasing number of participants reflects growing trust in the value of the exercise.

He was addressing the participants of the flag hoisting ceremony of Aman-21 at the Karachi Dockyard. Senior representatives of the 45 participating countries also graced the occasion.

Rear Admiral Ashraf expressed profound gratitude to the countries for their participation in the exercise despite the Covid-19 challenges. He expressed the hope that the interaction between the participating countries will be memorable and professionally rewarding.

Elaborating the title “Aman”, Rear Admiral Ashraf pointed out that the literal meaning of Urdu word “Aman” is peace, which draws the motto of the exercise “Together for Peace”, adding collaborative maritime security and collective efforts for maintaining good order at sea remains the spirit of the Aman series of exercises.

“Today is a proud moment for Pakistan Navy, when we began the 7th edition of our biennial multi-national maritime exercise Aman-21. The purpose of the Aman-21 is to let us come together and understand each other to fight with the common enemies, thereby achieving peace and stability at sea,” he said.

The Commander Pakistan Fleet said some of the prominent activities of Aman-21 include anti-piracy tactics, counter-terrorism operations, search and rescue manoeuvres and finally the hallmark of the sea-phase i.e. the international fleet review, besides professional interactions and cross cultural events.

“Pakistan is a firm believer in collaborative maritime security and therefore has been actively participating in maritime security and counter-piracy operations along with other partner navies since 2004,” he said, adding: “We have institutionalised the Task Force (TF-88) for seaward security of Gwadar port and adjacent sea area.”

He said since 2018, Pakistan Navy has been undertaking another initiative of Regional Maritime Security Patrol aimed at making sea safer for maritime community and contributing in freedom of navigation at sea in the Indian Ocean region.

“The concept of maritime navy is vast and multidimensional ranging from traditional security issues like state sovereignty matters to territorial disputes and threats from conventional forces etc,” he said, adding: “No country can single-handedly tackle the diverse threats that exist or the new ones that emerge on daily basis.”

Commander of 25th Destroyer Squadron Commodore Imtiaz Ali read the message of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, welcoming the participants of Aman-21.

In his message, the Naval Chief said: “This exercise provides not only a medium to develop doctrinal synergy to tackle maritime security challenges, but also serves to enhance interoperability amongst navies at different pedestals of technological prowess to secure a safe and sustainable maritime environment.

“It is a matter of pride to see flags and ensigns of over 45 navies fluttering together as an embodiment of exercise motto, ‘Together for Peace’.”