ISLAMABAD, May 9: Pakistan Navy will conduct the second round of joint exercises with the French Navy after participating in the ‘sea week’ being held in the United States later this month, officials said on Monday. An official said the joint exercises with the French Navy would be the second in a month. Pakistan Navy ships conducted manoeuvre exercises of attack, interception, replenishment and air defence systems with the French Navy on their way to Jordan on May 4-5, the official said.

Mine hunter exercises were held in April with the forces of the US, the United Kingdom and other countries in the Arabian Sea during April.

The Naval Headquarters said the Moawin and Tippu Sultan ships left for a cruise to the UK, the US and other Mediterranean countries on April 15. The ships would reach the US on May 25 and start their journey for home after participating in the sea week commemoration, it said.

It said the ships, on way to their destination, touched the La Goulette Port in Tunisia, where the mission commander, Commodore Asif Sandila, and the commanding officers, called on Tunisian Chief of the Naval Staff CVM Tarek Fouzi Larbi and the mayor of La Goulette. It said Prince Rashid bin Al Hassan and Princess Alia binte Hussain of Jordan attended a reception held onboard PNS Moawin.