JEDDAH, 13 November 2005 — India, which shares various bilateral interests with Saudi Arabia, hopes to forge ties in the maritime sector as well. “In the maritime domain, our mutual interests could evolve in various related fields,” Rear Adm. Rusi F. Contractor, India’s Western Fleet flag officer commanding, said yesterday. He identified the areas of cooperation at a press conference he addressed on board the Indian Naval Ship ‘Mysore’ at the Jeddah Islamic Port.
Among those present were India’s Ambassador M.O.H. Farooq, Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Riyadh-based Defense Attache Col. G.S. Dhillon, INS ‘Mysore’ Commanding Officer Captain Anurag G. Thapliyal, and INS ‘Aditya’ Commanding Officer Capt. Sunil Jetly.
Aside from reciprocal visits by naval ships and senior officers, the two countries could cooperate in hydrography, training of helicopter pilots, and staff courses, Contractor said.
Both INS ‘Mysore’ and INS ‘Aditya,’ together with 40 officers and 350 sailors, docked at the local port yesterday on a four-day goodwill mission. The vessels, which arrived from Bombay, will sail out on Nov. 16 for conducting naval exercises in cooperation with France in Djibouti before returning to Bombay toward the month-end.
INS ‘Mysore, commissioned in 1999, is the second indigenously built general-purpose guided missile destroyer of the ‘Delhi’ class. It embodies the “indomitable spirit” of the old cruiser ‘Mysore,’ which served the navy from 1957 to 1985. INS ‘Aditya’ is the first indigenous fast combat support ship built in Calcutta and commissioned in 2000 at Visakhapatnam.
India is committed to and interested in the freedom of seas that ensures safe navigation for the entire maritime community, Contractor said, adding that the naval forces of both countries could play a role to foster greater friendship, understanding and cooperation. “The future beckons as a period of new challenges and opportunities,” he said.
INS ‘Mysore’ was one of the two ships that visited Jubail three years ago on a similar goodwill mission, said Contractor who had earlier visited the city in 1973 on board the old cruiser INS ‘Mysore’ as a sub-lieutenant. “I find a dramatic change in this city since my visit 33 years ago. I find the port very much modern, neat, and clean and the people very warm,” he said, adding that the INS ‘Mysore’ also seems to have developed affinity with the Kingdom through its repeated visits.
In reply to a question, Contractor said the Indian Navy was addressing issues like terror, drugs, and weapons that had been bothering the maritime trade the world over.
Capt. Hari Nair, the fleet operations officer, who gave a presentation on the country’s maritime heritage and dimensions, said the Bombay-based Western Fleet, one of India’s three, was a credible blue water force of over 20 ships, a majority of them built in India.
In keeping with the Indian Navy’s philosophy of ‘sailing with pride’ and fostering cooperation among maritime nations, the ships of the Western Fleet in the recent past have shown the flag in several countries.
“We’re here again in the Kingdom on a goodwill flag showing mission. Our interaction with the world navies has increased over the years,” he said. A number of bilateral and joint exercises at sea have been carried out with the navies of France, Japan, Russia, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and the United States.
