BEIJING:
For the first time, an ‘AMAN Dialogue’ will be held alongside Pakistan Navy’s flagship AMAN naval exercises next month, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed Ashraf revealed in an interview published on Thursday.
Admiral Naveed told Global Times that the multinational exercise AMAN-25 would be organized by the Pakistan Navy in early February in Karachi. He said the main objective of AMAN was to foster regional cooperation for the maintenance of good order at sea.
Ashraf revealed that the first ‘AMAN Dialogue’ would be held in conjunction with AMAN-25. “The AMAN Dialogue aims to promote understanding on maritime security issues, find ways to improve cooperation at sea and discuss security linked to the blue economy,” he added.
The CNS said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy had participated in all previous editions of AMAN. He hoped that the PLA Navy would also participate in AMAN-25, adding that he looked forward to hosting the PLA Navy leaders at the ‘AMAN Dialogue’.
The last AMAN exercises were held in February 2023 in which the navies of more than 50 countries participated. The CNS said Pakistan Navy was fully prepared for AMAN-25 with increased participation of friendly countries in a professional and proper manner.
In addition to the AMAN series exercises, China and Pakistan also regularly conduct bilateral Sea Guardian naval exercises. The China-Pakistan joint maritime exercise Sea Guardian-3 was held in the waters and airspace of the northern Arabian Sea from November 11 to 17, 2023.
