New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS): India and EU naval ships conducted their first-ever joint naval exercise, in the Gulf of Guinea, off west Africa, in an effort to reinforce maritime security cooperation in support of the region, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

The exercise on October 24 followed the third meeting of the EU-India Maritime Security Dialogue on October 5 in Brussels.

During the exercise, Indian Navy’s INS Sumedha, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, was joined by three EU member states’ ships in the Gulf of Guinea - Italian Navy Ship ITS Foscari, French Navy Ship FS Ventose, and Spanish Navy Ship Tornado, a Defence Ministry official added.

The four ships practiced a series of tactical manoeuvers in international waters off the coast of Ghana, including a boarding exercise, a flying exercise using the helicopters embarked on Ventose and Sumedha, and transfer of personnel between ships.

This exercise was followed by a knowledge sharing session in Accra, which built on the joint experience at sea to improve operational know-how. The session also helped deepen ties between Ghanaian officials and representatives of the Indian, EU and EU member states missions to Ghana, the official added.

According to the ministry these activities underlined the shared commitment of India and the EU to supporting coastal states and the Yaounde Architecture in ensuring maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. They reflected the breadth and dynamism of EU-India cooperation on maritime security, and signalled the common determination to uphold the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).