MOSCOW, April 21 (RIA Novosti) – Russian and Pakistani naval representatives have discussed the possibility of joint exercises, which could be held as early as this week, a Russian military spokesman told RIA Novosti Monday.
A detachment of Russia’s Pacific Fleet called at the port of Karachi on Saturday, including the Udaloy-class destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov.
"Representatives of the official delegation of the Pacific Fleet visited the training centers of the Pakistani Navy and participated in a meeting on possible joint drills such as PASSEX," Cpt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said, adding that if approved, the drills would be held at the conclusion of the detachment’s visit to Pakistan later this week.
The Russian and Pakistani officers also held a roundtable during which they discussed the problem of piracy in the region. The Russian mariners shared their many years of experience in combating piracy in waters near the Horn of Africa.
The five-day visit to Karachi of the Pacific Fleet detachment was the first such visit in the history of relations between the Pakistani and Russian navies, Martov said.
