JEDDAH, 28 July 2005 — Two Pakistan Navy ships PNS Moawin and PNS Tippu Sultan arrived here yesterday after visiting eight countries in the first ever two-way trans-Atlantic visit by PN ships. Commodore Muhammad Asif Sandila is the mission commander and some 600 troops are accompanying him.
The countries visited, during the more than 100 days of travel, were America, Morocco, France, Britain, Ireland, Tunisia, Turkey and Jordan, Sandila told Arab News.
The ships also took part in naval exercises in some of the countries they visited. The navy mission was received by officials from Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah.
Commodore Sandila, who is the commander of PN Task Group, said in his arrival statement that Pakistan Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces enjoy special relations.
“In the formative years of RSNF, training facilities and technical advice given by Pakistan Navy have laid solid foundation for the development of close relations.”
He said that till the early eighties, almost all Saudi naval officers and sailors were trained in Pakistan. RSNF and PN regularly conduct joint exercises in every dimension of naval warfare, he added.
The visit of the PN Task Group to Jeddah will further cement the exiting strong ties between the two countries and navies. The naval mission will stay in Saudi Arabia for three days. Joint exercises between RSNF and PN ships will begin on July 30. The ships will head back to Pakistan after the exercises.
