Aman 2019 naval exercise kicks off

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy would begin a five-day exercise AMAN-19 from Friday  (today), in which over 45 countries are participating with ships and observers.  A media brief in this regard was conducted at Pakistan Navy Fleet Headquarters on Thursday.

 Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi shared  the details of AMAN 2019 with media, saying, the exercise was started in 2007 and it has been regularly conducted after every two years.

The exercise has two major phases: harbour and sea phases. Harbour activities would include seminars, discussions and demonstrations. In tandem, a three-day International Maritime Conference will also be held on the topic “Global Geopolitics in Transition: Rethinking Maritime Dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region”.

The vice admiral informed the media persons  that Pakistan has  remained steadfast in fighting the forces of terror and tyranny. Despite countless sacrifices and losses, the country continues to be responsible state cognizant of its role and significance in the international system. Like any maritime nation, Pakistan has substantial stakes in the maritime domain. 

"Our interest in safer and crime-free seas is rooted into three conspicuous realities: 1) Our extraordinary dependence on the seas for trade, 2) Operationalization of CPEC project; and 3) Our strategic location astride the global energy highway. " he added

Cumulatively, these realities make the maritime stability as the top agenda of our national security. Pakistan considers that maritime security isn’t just important for itself but for all other countries whose prosperity and progress are strongly bonded with the seas. 

“While we talk of operating together, let us be mindful of the threats and challenges that we face at seas; these range from piracy to terrorism to climate change. Vastness of the seas presents, what I call, a ‘complex duality’, i.e., seas provide the means to keep the world’s economy in motion whilst affording plenty of opportunities to the forces against progress and stability. The postulate that violent non-state actors’ threats in the maritime domain cannot be negotiated by a single country alone gets reinforced by complex duality phenomenon” Commander Niazi added.

Commander Pakistan Fleet said that, the principle purpose of this exercise is to provide a forum for understanding of each other’s maritime concepts, operational cultures and identifying ways & means to combat common threats at sea.   Overall, Exercise AMAN is about bridging gaps and making it possible to operate together in pursuance of shared objectives.