TEHRAN (FNA)- Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, in a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi on Tuesday, invited the neighboring state to join a tripartite war-game of his country with Russia and China.
“We are waiting for Pakistan to join the Maritime Security Belt War-Game,” Rear Admiral Khanzadi said, during the meeting with Admiral Abbasi today in Pakistan, referring to a joint naval drill between Iran, China and Russia in the Indian Ocean, scheduled for December 27, 2019.
“As of now, we are ready to dispatch fleets to Pakistan’s ports, and we believe that the resolve exists for further interactions between the two sides,” Khanzadi said at the meeting.
He then noted the presidency of Iranian Navy over the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, adding, “During this term, we made a lot of efforts, and Pakistan’s cooperation has been highly effective.”
He then called for collective cooperation and vigilance of neighboring countries to foil the undermining and destabilizing measures by the enemies, stressing that the region would be safer without the presence of foreign troops.
The Pakistan commander, for his part, said the China-Pakistan maritime corridor is a good opportunity for expanding economic relations, and Iran can serve as a good linking point between the West and the East.
He also thanked the Iranian Navy’s invitation for taking part at the joint war-game, adding, “The level of relations between the two countries’ navies is not satisfactory, and we need to increase our role in the region in this regard.”
Last Tuesday, Rear Admiral Khanzadi met with Chinese Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff Department Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming in Tehran where he said, "The joint drills of Iran, China and Russia codenamed Marine Security Belt will be staged on December 27."
In relevant remarks in September, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said that Tehran and Beijing were determined to boost their military ties in parallel with the expansion of relations in other areas.
Major General Baqeri, who was on an official visit to China, said that Iran and China were willing to develop long-term defense and military cooperation in parallel with the political and economic ties.
He told reporters that relations between Iran and China has been promoted to a strategic level since 2016 and the comprehensive plan of development has been exchanged between the two states.
General Baqeri said that China is an important country in Asia and in the world as well, adding that cooperation with China in various fields is of prime importance to Iran.