Indian warships in Malaysia to step up maritime cooperation

Two warships of the Indian Navy today reached Malaysia on a six-day visit as the force aims to further deepen bilateral maritime cooperation including effectively containing piracy in the Indian Ocean region.

The ships - INS Shivalik and INS Jyoti - are part of an overseas deployment to the South East Asia and Southern Indian Ocean in sync with India's 'Act East Policy'.

"The visit of the Indian Naval Ships seeks to underscore India's peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly and harmonious countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain and to strengthen existing bonds between India and Malaysia," Navy Spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said.

Indian naval assets have been increasingly deployed in recent times to address the main maritime concerns of the region.

In addition, as part of the Indian government's vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), the Indian Navy has also been involved in assisting countries in the Indian Ocean Region with surveillance of the exclusive economic zones, search and rescue operations and other capacity-building and capability-enhancement activities.

"The current deployment will contribute towards the Indian Navy's efforts to consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of friendship across the seas," Sharma said.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)