Pakistani flotilla visits Iran to deepen naval exchanges

Two vessels of the Pakistani Navy berthed at Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday for a friendly visit, Tasnim news agency reported.

The Pakistani vessels, a frigate and a sail training ship, docked for a five-day visit that will also include joint military exercises, Commander of Iran's First Naval Zone Admiral Hossein Azad was quoted as saying.

The commander of the Pakistani vessels, Captain Khalid Pervez, said his forces convey the message of peace and friendship, and seek to exchange experiences with the Iranian Navy.

He hailed the navies of Iran and Pakistan as two of the most powerful in the region, expressing the hope that such visits would strengthen ties between the two neighbors.

According to the report, Iranian and Pakistani naval groups have made several reciprocal visits in recent years. They have also staged a number of joint military war games in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

In March, a Pakistani flotilla comprising navy ships Tippu Sultan and PNS Jurrat and a chopper visited Iran and participated in a joint drill with Iranian forces at the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

--IANS

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