Pakistan CNS visits SLNS Vijayabahu

Pakistan Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf along with naval officers from Sri Lanka, poses for a group photograph in front of SLNS Vijayabahu

 Reporting from Karachi, Pakistan

As part of Exercise AMAN-25 currently underway in Karachi, Pakistan, the host country’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf visited ships of foreign navies including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Iran, the UAE and USA. 

Admiral Ashraf was welcomed by traditional Kandyan dance item performed by cadets of Sri Lanka Navy. He was received by Commander of the Northern Naval area Rear Admiral Thushara Karunathunga, Commanding Officer of SLNS Vijayabahu Captain Nalin Gonagala and Sri Lanka Defence Attaché to Pakistan Colonel Kaminda Silva. A crew of over 100 naval officers had travelled from Colombo to Pakistan via sea to participate at this multinational maritime exercise. 

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mirror following a briefing onboard the ship, Admiral Ashraff said that AMAN is an effort to provide a safe and secure maritime environment for the international community that operates in the region. “AMAN means peace, but this is more than just an exercise. With Sri Lankan Navy and other navies, this is an opportunity to show our collective resolve and our commitment to work together and make the seas secure for our future generations. It is an opportunity to make the maritime domain more prosperous where the Blue Economy can flourish, where trade can continue unimpeded and where the maritime highways work to their best effect.

The increasing number of participants in this exercise over the years shows that the world believes in our effort towards collective maritime security arrangements and our willingness and desire to continue these efforts. Exercise AMAN-25 shows that participants of 60 countries do believe in us and our efforts. Although we are a moderate navy in terms of the size and number we are the flag bearers of our collaborative maritime security in the region and we continue to work in this regard” said Admiral Ashraf. 

Adding his remarks about the inaugural AMAN Dialogue he said that it is an effort primarily in the strategic domain and for the practitioners of the top tier of leadership to work together and develop a common understanding of the threats and challenges at sea. “This way we would be able to resolve prevailing instabilities and make the seas and oceans prosperous for future generations,” he added.