BREST (France), June 15: Two Pakistani navy vessels will take part in a two-day French military exercise at sea starting on Thursday, French and Pakistani officers said. The Pakistani navy frigate Tippu Sultan and the tanker Moavin, both carrying a total 700 sailors, arrived on Sunday in the Atlantic French port of Brest for the manoeuvres.

It was the first time in 24 years that Pakistani navy ships had docked in France.

The commander of the Pakistani naval group, Asif Sandila, hailed four decades of cooperation between the two countries’ seagoing forces and stressed the role of the Pakistani navy “in the fight against terrorism.”

He also called attention to the Pakistani navy’s deployment during December’s tsunami disaster in Asia, “notably the rescue of a hundred French people in the Maldives.”—AFP