In a notable maritime engagement, two ships arrived at Port Rashid for an event spanning from August 8 to August 11. This visit is underscored by the fact that each ship will be under the command of distinguished naval officers, Captain Ashok Rao and Captain Pramod G Thomas, respectively. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed these details through an official statement.

“During the visit, the ships will undertake professional interactions with UAE Naval Force on multiple elements of maritime operations,” according to the statement.

In a bid to promote collaboration and reinforce the bond between the two naval forces, a mutual exchange of best practices is set to take place. This initiative seeks to not only bolster cooperation but also deepen the ties between the involved navies.

As outlined in the official statement, the anticipated visit holds the potential to significantly elevate the maritime partnership between the two entities. By doing so, it aims to establish a shared comprehension of the prevailing security dynamics within the region.

With a purposeful entrance into Dubai, the ships are poised to engage in cooperative interactions and maritime coordination with neighboring nations. This strategic move underscores a commitment to fostering harmonious regional engagement.

The Indian Navy took to Twitter and said, “India-UAE #BridgesofFriendship Indigenous guided missile destroyer #INSVisakhapatnam with FOCWF embarked & ASW stealth frigate #INSTrikand are in #Dubai as part of #IndianNavy's ops deployment towards co-operative engagement & maritime cooperation with regional countries. @IN_WNC”

The official Twitter account of the Indian Embassy in the UAE announced that the ships have reached Port Rashid to partake in a bilateral naval exercise with the UAE Navy.

“Indian Embassy in UAE took to its official Twitter and said, "Two ships of the #IndianNavy – INS Visakhapatnam and INS Trikand arrived at Port Rashid, #Dubai for a bilateral exercise with #UAENavy. The exercise aims to share best practices and increase synergies between the two Navies. #IndiaUAE” the tweet said.

India and the UAE initiated diplomatic ties in 1972, and reciprocally established their embassies in Delhi and Abu Dhabi in the same year (UAE in Delhi and India in Abu Dhabi), as affirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The enduring bilateral relationship shared between India and the UAE, known for its robustness, found renewed vigor with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's notable visit to the UAE on August 16-17, 2015. This milestone visit marked the commencement of a fresh strategic partnership between the two nations.

The realm of bilateral defense engagement between India and the UAE has been consistently expanding in tandem with other facets of their diplomatic ties.

Elevated interactions, spanning both high-level and functional levels, have become a regular feature in the exchanges between the two countries. Further contributing to the strengthening of bilateral defense collaboration are the frequent port calls made by naval vessels from both nations. These interactions are instrumental in fostering and enhancing their mutual defense cooperation.

Image source: HT