COLOMBO – Pakistan Navy Ship ‘SAIF’ departed from the Port of Colombo on Thursday (Feb 1) after a successful 3-day goodwill visit beginning January 30. The ship was given a traditional farewell by the Sri Lana Navy (SLN) on departure.
During the stay at port, Captain Muhammad Ali PN, Commanding Officer of the ship called on the Commander of Western Naval Area, while Pakistan Navy officers and men visited various Sri Lanka Navy units/ training facilities and also participated in the friendly sports meets arranged by the SLN.
Local naval officers and men also visited PNS SAIF and the ensuing interactions resulted in an exchange of professional knowledge on matters of mutual interest.
The highlights of the PNS SAIF visit were a cake-cutting ceremony followed by, a dinner reception displaying traditional Pakistani hospitality, hosted on-board SAIF on Wednesday (January 31). The reception was inter alia attended by ministers and politicians, members of the diplomatic corps, senior serving and retired officers of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Defence Advisors/ Attachés, Officers of the Pakistan High Commission, a large number of guests from different spheres of life and representatives of the media.
While welcoming the guests, the Commander of the ship Captain Muhammad Ali said Pakistan and Sri Lanka have strong ties and both navies engage in multilayered cooperation. The visit is a manifestation of the strong diplomatic, economic, cultural and defence relations between the two friendly countries and is aimed at further strengthening these existing bonds.
Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Wajid Hassan Hashmi, thanked the guests for attending the reception onboard PNS SAIF and reiterated that bilateral relations between the two nations and the two armed forces are exemplary, expressing his resolve to fortify them with each passing day. Hashmi highlighted that recent high-level bilateral visits and interactions are the manifestation of a common desire to cooperate. Historically both nations have demonstrated to stand by either side in times.
-Pakistan HC/Colombo
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