US and partners vow to enhance sea collaboration

TDT | Manama                                                               

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Julia Cassano

The US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) hosted two major multilateral meetings on maritime security in the region and future ways to enhance cooperation and collaboration at sea. The meetings were attended by 200 participants, who discussed opportunities to enhance cooperation and collaboration at sea.

Ninety senior military officials and diplomats representing 22 nations and senior representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council attended the two-day meetings. "Participants reiterated their commitment to uphold navigational rights and operate consistent with international law, as well as pursue collective efforts to prevent threats to vessels travelling through regional waterways that are critical to international trade and the global economy," the statement read.

During the meetings, and for the second time this year, NAVCENT’s naval amphibious task force and Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade hosted a multilateral maritime engagement conference in the Kingdom. Representatives from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, France, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, the UK, and the US discussed ways to further enhance regional partnerships, working to collaborate regarding training opportunities throughout the Middle Eastern region.

The topics discussed in breakout sessions and briefs were air, ground, and maritime operations, continuing discussions that were previously held in January. "One of the best ways to remain ready to respond to a contingency is to listen and work with others.

Understanding their security challenges and learning how we can best integrate with them during a crisis or contingency response—especially one that occurs in an amphibious domain—is important, said US Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Reid, the Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade commander.