Indian naval ships in Tanzania to take forward bilateral ties

Three Indian naval ships today reached Dar es Salaam as part of an exercise to bolster bilateral ties and reinforce cooperation in maritime security between India and Tanzania.
The INS Mumbai, INS Talwar and INS Deepak have reached the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam.
Under the Command of Rear Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, the three ships, along with INS Teg, are on a two-month-long overseas deployment to east Africa and the south Indian ocean region.
The Indian Navy has close and friendly ties with all the navies of the region. India and Tanzania also have historic maritime links through trade.

Frequent visits by high-level delegations, including by the heads of state and government, have added much depth to the bilateral ties, the Navy said in a statement here.
It added that this has resulted in progressively increasing trade relations in various sectors like mineral fuels, oils, pharmaceuticals, motor vehicles, electrical machinery and agro chemicals, among others.

The growing defence cooperation between the two countries is evident in the increasing frequency of port visits by naval ships.
India and Tanzania are also members of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a voluntary and co-operative initiative between 35 countries of the Indian ocean region, which has served as an ideal forum for cooperation and the sharing of information on maritime issues.

The latest visit seeks to underscore India's peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly countries of the region and strengthen the existing bonds of friendship between India and Tanzania.
During their stay, the ships would be open to the public. In addition, various cultural events and games between the two navies are also scheduled to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two nations.