Indian Naval Ships Delhi, Tarkash and Deepak under the command of Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, Rear Admiral Ravneet Singh, NM entered Manama on May 16.

During the visit, the crew of Indian Navy ships will undertake professional interactions with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) pertaining to nuances of maritime operations, including means of combating maritime terrorism and piracy. In addition, calls on senior government and military authorities, sporting and cultural interactions and sharing of best practices, aimed at enhancing cooperation as well as strengthening mutual understanding between the two navies, are also planned. The visiting Indian Navy ships are also likely to conduct exercises with the RBNF.

The current four-day visit by Indian Navy ships will facilitate sharing of best practices, enhance maritime cooperation and evolve a shared understanding of the maritime security challenges between the Indian Navy and the Royal Bahrain Naval Force. It will further bolster the strong bonds of friendship between India and Bahrain and enhance the security and stability in this vital part of the Indian Ocean region. INS Delhi is commanded by Captain Sandeep Singh Sandhu, INS Tarkash is commanded by Captain Pradeep Singh, NM and INS Deepak is commanded by Captain Sujit Kumar Chhetri.

Bilateral relations between India and Bahrain are characterised by strong bonds of friendship based on cultural and economic ties dating back to ancient contacts between the Indus Valley civilisation in India and Dilmun civilisation in Bahrain. Presence of over 3,50,000 Indian nationals, comprising nearly a third of Bahrain’s total population, is an important facet of this strong bilateral relationship. High level visits from both sides, rising trade and investment and growing convergence on counter-terrorism and security issues has provided new impetus to this strong and age-old relationship. Indian Navy ships Delhi, Deepak, Trishul and Tabar last visited Manama in September 2015. A delegation from the RBNF also participated in the recently concluded International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam.