During a three-day trip to New Zealand, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar signed an agreement on the sharing of white shipping data. According to a statement released by the Indian Navy on Sunday, Admiral Kumar’s trip to New Zealand from September 29 to October 1 has sparked a “promising growth trajectory” for closer bilateral maritime interactions.
The Navy head had extensive conversations with Rear Admiral David Proctor, Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy, during which time a wide range of potential for maritime collaboration were discussed.
According to the Indian Navy, both parties showed a desire to increase the volume and range of their bilateral interactions in the years to come. “In a milestone development, an agreement on White Shipping Information Exchange was signed during this visit,” it said in a statement.
“Closer collaboration towards enhancing shared maritime domain awareness is in keeping with convergent views of both countries with regard to promoting greater transparency in the maritime domain,” it added.
The agreement will facilitate the exchange of information on the movement of merchant ships.
“The visit to New Zealand further consolidated shared commitments of both navies and has set in motion a promising growth trajectory for deeper bilateral maritime engagements,” the Navy said. Admiral Kumar was also provided with a comprehensive tour of the maritime museum of New Zealand that showcases the country’s rich maritime heritage.
“The Chief of Naval Staff, accompanied by Bhav Dhillon, Honorary Consul of India at Auckland, also availed the opportunity to meet Indian veterans and community leaders in Auckland,” the Navy said.
