KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) – The Pakistan Navy began a five-day multinational military exercise in the Arabian Sea on Friday as part of Islamabad’s long-standing effort to bring security to the area, it said, although as usual regional arch-rival India was not invited.
The biennial “Aman” or peace exercise began with the ceremonial raising of flags of participating countries in the southern port city of Karachi. Senior military representatives, diplomats and officials of the Pakistan Navy were in attendance.
More than 40 countries, including the United States, Russia, Britain and China, are participating, with some sending ships, planes or special operations forces, it added.
Russia joined the exercise with NATO forces for the first time in many years in the area and said in a Defense Ministry statement that the aim was to strengthen military cooperation between the countries participating in the maneuvers and to be developed in the interests of security and stability. . “
Pakistan has been hosting the exercise since 2007, but has never invited neighboring India, and bitter relations have continued after three wars between the two since independence from British rule in 1947.
The exercise began days after Turkish forces arrived in Pakistan for a separate joint military exercise on land, in addition to sending a contingent to the naval exercises.