International Maritime Exercise kicks off in Bahrain with participation of 51 countries
February 9, 2022, 8:43 am

International Maritime Exercise kicks off in Bahrain with participation of 51 countries

Maritime Exercise/Pixabay

The Asharq AlAwsat reported, the International Maritime Exercise (IMX/CE22) kicked off with the participation of the Egyptian Naval Forces and the Western Joint Forces Command.

IMX/CE22 is one of the most extensive joint international maritime exercises globally and the largest in the Middle East, with the participation of 51 countries at the Joint Command Center for Training in Bahrain.

The combined training includes 9,000 personnel and 50 ships from more than 60 partner nations and international organizations operating across two regions.

It is also the largest unmanned exercise globally, with more than 80 unmanned systems from 10 nations participating.

The Egyptian military spokesman said that the training, which will last for several days, comes within the framework of the plan of the General Command of the Armed Forces to upgrade the level of forces and exchange experiences with the armed forces of brotherly and friendly countries, and support efforts for maritime security and stability in the region.

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The training is expected to witness several theoretical and practical training activities to unify maritime concepts among the participating countries.

It will also include training on confronting atypical maritime threats, implementing naval security measures, securing ships carrying important cargo, and combating naval mines.

Training will also focus on enhancing capabilities in command and control, sea control, maritime security operations, medical training, and mine countermeasures.

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The drill underscores the depth of the strategic partnership and the extended relations between the Egyptian Armed Forces and their counterparts from the countries participating in the training, according to the spokesman.

IMX/CE22 is the seventh iteration of IMX since its establishment in 2012 and will conclude on Feb. 17.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.