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The Royal Saudi Naval Forces Chief of Staff, Admiral Fahad Abdullah S Al-Ghofaily, called on Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy, on Thursday in New Delhi and held discussions on collaborative mechanisms and measures to further strengthen naval cooperation.
Admiral Al-Ghofaily is on a four-day official visit to India from January 10-13. Earlier in the day, he was accorded a Guard of Honour at South Block Lawns in the national capital. Al-Ghofaily's visit is a testimony to the longstanding relationship between the navies of Saudi Arabia and India. Notably, Indian Navy ships have been regularly undertaking port calls at various Saudi Arabian ports. "Indian Navy cooperates with the Royal Saudi Naval Force through various initiatives, which include operational interactions such as bilateral naval exercises, Al Mohed Al Hindi, training and other maritime avenues. Indian Navy ships have been regularly undertaking port calls at various ports of Saudi Arabia," according to an official statement. The visit of Admiral Fahad Abdullah S Al-Ghofaily also includes interaction with the Chief of Defence Staff, Defence Secretary, Chief of Air Staff and Vice Chief of Army Staff. During his visit, the Admiral would also visit the IFC-IOR at Gurugram and the Southern Naval Command at Kochi. The current visit by the Chief of Staff of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces is aimed at increasing naval cooperation between the two navies and has further renewed the sense of commitment of two friendly maritime neighbours to address shared maritime challenges in the IOR. Moreover, the Indian Navy has also been interacting with the Royal Saudi Naval Force. According to the statement, it has been interacting with the Saudi Naval Forces in various multilateral forums, viz., "IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium), MILAN, CMF (Combined Maritime Forces) and DCoC-JA (Djibouti Code of Conduct--Jeddah Amendment), where both navies have been supporting each other to supplement maritime security in the region." India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations reflecting centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties. The diplomatic ties between India and Saudi Arabia were established in 1947, according to the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia. (ANI)
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