Naval chief visits USA, discusses politico-military cooperation, capacity-building initiatives

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf visited United States of America as part of ongoing efforts to further strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation and defence engagements, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported on Friday.

During the visit, the naval chief called on US Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral Yvette Davids and Acting Vice Commandant of the US Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Thomas G Allan Jr.

Matters of professional interest, regional security dynamics, and avenues for professional training and maritime cooperation were discussed during these meetings.

Naval Chief Ashraf also visited the National Defence University (NDU) and met its President, Vice Admiral Peter A. Garvin.

Naval chief emphasises need to maintain combat readiness to deal with all threats

At the US State Department, the Admiral met Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Stanley L. Brown.

The engagements encompassed deliberations on politico-military cooperation, maritime security, capacity-building initiatives, and shared maritime interests.

Admiral Ashraf also addressed a gathering of US scholars and think-tank experts. In his talk, the naval chief highlighted regional maritime security challenges and Pakistan Navy’s contributions towards collaborative maritime efforts.