Warships to remain on West Indian waters for 2 months

The two Indian warships that docked at the Kenyan coast two weeks ago will remain on the western part of the Indian Ocean for the next two months.

India sent the naval vessels to Kenya to share experiences in operations and combat threats of maritime terrorism and piracy.

In a statement, the Indian High Commission said the warships docked in Mombasa for three days between September 10 and September 13.

“During the visit, the warships interacted with the Kenyan Defence Forces on professional issues, aimed at enhancing co-operation and sharing nuances of naval operations including combating threats of maritime terrorism and piracy,” the commission said in the statement.

The ships are part of the India Navy’s Western Fleet based in Mumbai which operate under the Western Naval Command.

During their stay at the harbour the ships also undertook several other activities, including official interactions and cultural engagements.

For example, they allowed the public, including school children, for on-board visits during their stay at the harbour.

The commission said the visit was a demonstration of India’s commitment to its ties with Kenya as well as part of promoting maritime security in the Indian Ocean region.

The ships Kolkata and Aditya are under the command of the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, Rear Admiral Ravneet Singh.

The Indian High Commission said: “India and Kenya have historical maritime trading links. The sizeable Indian diaspora settled in Kenya is a testimony of our strong cultural linkages.”

It added that the signing of the India-Kenya Trade Agreement in 1981, under which both countries accorded most favoured nation (MFN) status to each other, set the foundation for strong and vibrant trade relations. The MFN status means that the two countries give each other the best trading terms available to any other nation.

“Bilateral relations between the two countries have since been progressively stepped up through economic, military and diplomatic cooperation.

“The recently concluded visit of India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi provided fresh impetus to the bilateral relationship between the two countries,” said the commission.

The commission said that a memorandum of understanding of defence co-operation was signed between the two countries for the first time.

“India gifted 30 field ambulances to Kenya Defence Forces. The two countries agreed to deepen the existing defence ties further through several other engagements,” said the commission. The other engagements were, however, not disclosed in the statement.

It added that the strength of the naval co-operation between the two countries was evident from frequent port visits by naval ships, hydrographic survey by Indian survey ships and training of Kenyan naval personnel in India.