Rear Admiral Sami Mansour Al-Rifaie, Commander of the Saudi Royal Navy Task Force that took part in the joint exercises with Pakistan Navy under the Uroosul Bahr, declared that co-operation in the naval field between the two countries shall continue in the days ahead.
He said that ties in the defence field would keep growing, in keeping with the desire of Khadim Al Harmain King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and President Pervez Musharraf.
Talking to UPP correspondent at the dinner hosted in his honour by Saudi Arabian Consul General H E Dr Hassan A Attar, the Saudi Task Force Naval Commander said that ties between the Saudi and Pakistan Navies have been well-established since long. "Many Saudi Naval officers have trained at Pakistan Naval establishments."
Al-Rifaie said that the joint exercises are a regular feature of co-operation between the Saudi and Pakistan Navies and are held after every two years.
The Saudi Commander said that the exercises with the Pakistan Navy were very successful and the Saudi Navy personnel had benefited immensely from them.
He said that keeping in mind the changing environment in the defence field and the continuous up-gradations that take place in equipment, the exercises with the Pakistan Navy were very productive.
Welcoming the Saudi Commander, Consul General Attar lauded the exemplary ties of co-operation and brotherhood that have developed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and looked forward to their further growth.
Attending the dinner were the officers of the Saudi Naval Task Force as also leading diplomats in Karachi, including Consular Dean H E Mohammad Amir Al-Falasi, Consul General of Bahrain Jameel Abdul Wahab Abdus Salam and Consul Generals of Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia, Saudi Deputy Consul Generals Hassan Flimban and Nayef Al-Rashid, vice Consul Huseyn Raza and many others.