Iranian Navy chief visits South Africa

08 April 2012 | 22:34 Code : 1899795 Latest Headlines
TEHRAN, April 8 (MNA) – Iranian Navy Commander Habibollah Sayyari has visited Johannesburg to participate in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) which will start on April 10 and will run until April 13.

Rear Admiral Sayyari, after a one-day stay in Johannesburg, will travel to Cape Town, the venue of the conference.

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation amongst navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues. This will be the first time this symposium is held in the continent of Africa.

Over 500 international naval delegates from 32 countries from the Indian Ocean or with interest in Indian Ocean will attend the three days symposium. This includes member countries from SADC, Asia and representatives of international organizations such as the African Union and United Nations.

The main objective of IONS is to promote constructive engagement and dialogue in order to enhance maritime security in the Indian Ocean and to promote areas of common interest and cooperation. The theme for the symposium will be Regional Maritime Security Initiatives aimed at reducing Modern Maritime Security Threats. This is particularly relevant as acts of maritime security threats such as piracy are becoming common place around the continent’s East coast including the Indian Ocean.