ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi is on an official tour of Saudi Arabia where he held meetings with the Saudi military leadership and the commander of the United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), the Pakistan navy said on Wednesday.
The two sides discussed maritime security in the region and mutual defense collaboration during Niazi’s visit. He also attended the World Defense Show organized by Saudi Arabia. The four-day event concluded on Wednesday.
In a tweet, the Pakistan navy said the kingdom’s military leadership had expressed appreciation for the Pakistan Navy and acknowledged the importance of strong defense ties between the two countries.
“The [Saudi] dignitaries appreciated Pakistan Navy’s initiatives and acknowledged the significance of strong bilateral defense collaboration,” the Pakistan Navy’s spokesperson said.
The chief of naval staff also discussed matters of mutual interest including bilateral defense collaboration and maritime security in the region during separate meetings with the Saudi and American military leaders.
“The Naval Chief highlighted Pakistan Navy’s instrumental contributions for ensuring maritime security and stability in the region including Regional Maritime Security Patrols and participation, as well as leadership of multinational naval task forces within ambit of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF),” said an official statement released by the Pakistan navy.
“It is expected that visit of the Naval Chief will further augment and expand defense ties between the two countries in general and navies in particular,” it added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy close relations that have seen cooperation between the two countries on defense, trade, economy and other sectors.
Last week, a two-week long joint military exercise between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia concluded at the National Counter-Terrorist Center in the mountain town of Pabbi in Punjab province. In September last year, Saudi and Pakistani forces conducted the joint Naseem Al-Bahr 13 naval exercise in the Arabian Sea near Karachi, with Saudi F-15 aircraft participating in a missile firing drill for the first time.
