Islamabad, June 10 (IANS): Pakistan and China signed an agreement on Wednesday for construction of six patrol vessels for the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA).

The agreement was signed during a ceremony at the ministry of defence production (MoDP) in Rawalpindi, Dawn reported.

The documents were signed by China Ship Trading Company (CSTC) and the Pakistani government on behalf of MoDP.

According to the agreement, four ships would be constructed in China while the remaining two would be built at Karachi's Shipyard and Engineering Works under transfer of technology.

The MoDP spokesperson said that acquisition of new ships was a step towards PMSA's capacity building by the government which would boost the agency's operational preparedness for protection of resources in Pakistan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

The new ships would be used for maritime law enforcement operations against drug trafficking and illegal immigration, the spokesperson added.

Last year, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved eight development projects worth Pakistani Rs.157 billion (over $1.5 billion), including two signature projects of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the first phase of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor.

The committee also approved Rs.13.87 billion for procurement of six maritime patrol vessels for PMSA.