MUSCAT, Dec 1 - A rousing welcome was accorded to the Royal yacht Zeinat Al Bahar alongside two Indian navy ships INS Tarangini and INS Sujata at Port Sultan Qaboos on their arrival from the port of Kochi, India. Zeinat Al Bahar had sailed to Kochi to represent the Sultanate at 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and sailed back to Muscat with the two Indian ships. Nasr bin Hamoud al Kindi, Secretary-General of the Royal Court Affairs, was the chief guest. He was joined by guest of honour Sanjay Mitra, Defence Secretary of India. The chief guest was escorted by Vice-Admiral AK Chawla, Flag officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Southern Naval Command, to inspect the Guard of Honour presented by the Royal Navy of Oman in honour of the ships that left the Kochi port almost two weeks before. Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate Munu Mahawar, and officials from both Oman and India were present.
Adding colour to the ceremony were the students from both Omani and Indian schools who waved flags of both countries to the ships on their arrival. A procession by Omani folk singers and dancers accompanied by drummers added more flavour to the reception. The three ships were on a sailing exercise following the IONS organised by the Indian Navy to increase maritime cooperation and understanding between the nations of Indian Ocean Region. Sharing the Omani sailors’ experience with their Indian counterparts, commander of Zeinat Al Bahar said, “We are brothers at sea. It was a privilege to sail along with them.” He referred to Kochi as “almost like home”. “Many of our officers are trained at the Cochin Naval Base. We were very delighted to participate in the joint naval programme,” he told the Observer.
The IONS was launched in February 2008 as 21st century’s first maritime security initiative.
Among the 36 nations in the Indian Ocean geographically grouped into four sub-regions, IONS has 24 members and 8 observer nations.
It is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region, by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues.
In the process, it endeavours to generate a flow of information between naval professionals that would lead to common understanding and possible cooperative solutions on the way ahead. According to Vice-Admiral AK Chawla, the joint exercise was part of an attempt to retrace the centuries-old maritime trade routes from the Malabar Coast and Gujarat to the Sultanate. “These routes opened the way for the thriving trade relations with the two countries and also catalysed the spread of cultures to all parts of the world and brought high levels of prosperity to the region.”
He said that INS Tarangini was carrying cadets from different countries, including Europe and Asia. “They sail together creating an understanding about the cultures of different countries,” he said.
SAMUEL KUTTY
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