Australian naval ship visits Mumbai

NEW DELHI - An Australian naval ship will visit Mumbai this week.

HMAS Parramatta has recently completed an operational deployment to the Middle East and is visiting Mumbai as the first port visit during her transit back to Australia.

The crew of Parramatta is looking forward to visiting Mumbai and for many this will be their first visit to India.

Australia’s High Commissioner to India, HE Peter Varghese, welcomed the visit as a sign of the closer relationship between the Australian and Indian Navies. He said “Australia and India share a strong interest in the maritime security of our region and are working more closely together than ever before. I see great potential for the bilateral naval relationship to grow in the years ahead.”

HMAS Parramatta departed Sydney for the Middle East on 15 March 2010 for a six-month deployment, as part of Operation SLIPPER; the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) contribution to the international campaign against terrorism, countering piracy in the Gulf of Aden, and contributing to maritime security in the region.

These operations complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists’ use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material. (ANI)