Indian naval ships to arrive in RI

Mon, 01/28/2008 4:00 AM  |  World

ADPARA>Ships from the first training squadron of the Indian navy are scheduled to arrive in Indonesia on a goodwill visit. Indian naval ship INS Tir Krishna Tarangini and Indian coast guard vessel Varuna will arrive today (Monday) in Bali before traveling to Jakarta on Feb. 4 to 8

The ships have been training officer cadets on completion of their Ab-Initio training at the naval academy. On board, the cadets are trained in the practical aspects of seamanship, ship-handling, engineering and weapon handling, and acquire experience on sailing and life aboard a ship.

"Goodwill visits by the ships of the Indian navy will strengthen the cordial relations between the two nations," the Indian Embassy in Jakarta said in a press release sent to The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Indonesia and India have long held good maritime relations; the issue of maritime terrorism and piracy in the Malacca Strait has risen to the forefront of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Since 1995, the key aspects of this relationship have involved visits of Indian navies to Indonesian ports and vice-versa, and conducting joint naval exercises. India has also been conducting bilateral search and rescue operations with Indonesia, named Indopura SAREX.

In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, India launched Operation Ghambir in January 2005 and sent food and medical supplies to Indonesia through its hospital ship INS Nirupak and the corvette INS Khukri.

During their stay in Indonesia, the ships' crews will be interacting closely with officers and sailors from the Indonesian Navy.

The senior officers and commanding officers will also be calling on government and naval dignitaries. While visiting Bali and Jakarta, the ships will be open to visitors. (JP/Ella Davison)

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