ISLAMABAD: The United States, Pakistan and German navies conducted a trilateral passing exercise in the Arabian Sea this week to strengthen cooperation and advance a common vision to ensure peace and stability at high seas, US Consulate in Karachi said on Tuesday.
Multiple ships from the partner nations, including Pakistan’s PNS Alamgir, Germany’s FGS Bayern America’s Shiloh participated in the exercise. The drill aimed to help provide for the freedom of navigation and secure sea-lanes of communication that are vital for the economic prosperity of the region, and especially port cities such as Karachi and Gwadar.
The Pakistan Navy frequently holds similar drills with friendly countries to contribute toward safety, security and freedom of navigation at high seas.
The trilateral exercise was held on September 6 but extended to a second day of bilateral training between Pakistan and the United States.
“I was proud to witness the naval exercise today that included our close partners Pakistan and Germany,” said US Consul General Mark Stroh.
“The United States and Pakistan have collaborated together for decades to promote a peaceful, stable, and prosperous South Asia,” he continued. “Our enduring military-to-military ties, demonstrated by today’s successful naval exercise, strengthen the US-Pakistan relationship and support our peoples’ prosperity and security.”
US Rear Admiral Will Pennington, Commanding Officer of the Strike Group, said that joint multi-domain operations demonstrate the capacity of the international rules-based system to advance a common vision of ensuring peace and stability.
“The United States greatly values our bilateral relationship with Pakistan, and we appreciate all the support your country has provided during the last month of operations,” said Rear Admiral Pennington.
Rear Admiral Jawad Ahmed, Commander, Pakistan Navy Western Command, said “exercises like this cement our relationship.”