A delegation of five cadets of the Myanmar Defence Services Academy (MDSA) visited the Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala here.
A press release issued by the INA here on Saturday said the delegation led by Major Thike Zaw Hein and Captain Ko Ko Min of the MDSA was on a visit to the INA for a week starting from October 1. The visiting officers and cadets were acquainted with infrastructure, academic facilities and training processes at the INA, it said. The aim of the visit was to build bridges of friendship between the two navies, exchange best practices and to consolidate and enhance bilateral defence relations between India and Myanmar.
The naval cooperation between India and Myanmar has been traditionally strong, encompassing a wide span including operational interactions through co-ordinated patrols, training, port calls, passage exercises along with capacity building and capability augmentation initiatives, the release said. The visit also gave the INA staff an opportunity to learn and understand the training processes and philosophy followed at the MDSA, it added.
Bonding among cadets
The visiting delegation was given opportunities to understand the functioning of the INA and to form bonds of friendship with INA cadets, the release noted. The delegates were also shown places of historical and cultural interest in and around Payyannur.
The visit of the Myanmar delegation to the INA followed the recent visit of Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander in Chief, Myanmar Navy, to India from September 18 to 21. The INA saw the visit of the delegation as reflective of the growing level of co-operation between both the navies. The visiting officers and cadets left for Myanmar on Saturday.