EU, South Korea, Oman Exercise Joint Naval Drills

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2021) The European Union, South Korea and Oman carried out their first joint naval and information exchange exercise against the threat of piracy in the Arabian Sea, an official EU press release said Tuesday morning.

"Based on the scenario of an anti-piracy operation, the joint naval exercise included boarding a vessel with helicopter-borne special operations forces, live heavy machine gun fire, a search and rescue operation, and complex tactical evolutions at sea," the press release reads.

The drills involved the EU Naval Force Somalia - Operation Atalanta flagship, frigate Victoria, and South Korea's destroyer Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin, as well as the Oman Maritime Security Centre.

The EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was adopted in September 2021. It urges for more joint activities with Indo-Pacific partners to provide maritime security in the region.

South Korea has signed a Framework Participation Agreement with the EU for participation in EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations, such as EU Naval Force Somalia - Operation Atalanta. According to the agreement, Korean ships and personnel took part in this operation. The statement said that the EU and South Korea are committed to strengthening their partnership in the area of security and defense.