Indian Navy chief, Kenya Navy commander discuss ways to boost maritime cooperation

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Kenya Navy Commander Maj Gen Paul Owuor Otieno on Monday held talks here which covered a wide range of issues relating to maritime cooperation.

Maj Gen Otieno is on an official visit to India from September 28 to October 2, with the objective of further strengthening maritime cooperation and bilateral ties, the defence ministry said.

On Monday, the Kenya Navy commander was received by Admiral Tripathi at South Block lawns, where he was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour.

"Discussions during the meeting covered a wide range of issues relating to maritime cooperation, including operational, training, and hydrographic engagements, the conduct of multilateral exercise AIKEYME, and consolidation of the partnership under the India–Kenya 'BAHARI' Maritime Vision," the ministry said in a statement.

Maj Gen Otieno also paid homage to the fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.

He is scheduled to visit the Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram, as well as training establishments of the Indian Navy's Southern Naval Command in Kochi, with a view to enhancing training cooperation, the ministry said.

"The Kenya Navy remains a valued maritime partner in the Indian Ocean Region, with active participation in multilateral exercise AIKEYME, the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), the Goa Maritime Conclave, and the Djibouti Code of Conduct – Jeddah Amendment (DCoC-JA)," it said.

The visit of Maj Gen Otieno represents an "important milestone" in India–Kenya naval relations, reinforcing shared interests and a common commitment to security in the Indian Ocean Region, the ministry said.

Highlighting the ongoing partnership, ships of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron -- INS Tir, INS Sujata, INS Shardul, and ICGS Sarathi -- recently made a port call at Mombasa, Kenya, as part of their long-range training deployment to the South West Indian Ocean.

The visit included a series of professional and social interactions, further deepening bilateral maritime engagement. PTI KND KVK KVK