PTI 
 
NEW DELHI, Jan 6: In an effort to further broaden defence cooperation with India, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Naval Commander Rear Admiral Ahmed Mohammed Al  Sabab landed here on his maiden three-day visit on Tuesday.

On the first day of his visit, Al Sabab met his Indian counterpart Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Army chief General Deepak Kapoor at South Block.

During the meeting, both sides discussed various issues of mutual interest and expanding cooperation in these areas.

"The navy chiefs discussed expanding cooperation in joint training between the two countries," naval sources said.

Interestingly, the UAE navy chief had done most of his naval courses in Pakistan, whereas his son is currently doing a logistics course at one of the Indian naval facilities in Mumbai. The two sides are expected to have discussed the piracy issue also during the meeting.

India and UAE are partners in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), an Indian navy initiative for cooperation and coordination among navies of littoral nations in the region.

After meeting other senior defence officials, Al Sabab will move on to visit Mumbai and meet the Western naval Commander Vice Admiral Jagjit Singh Bedi there.

In Mumbai, the UAE naval chief will visit the naval dockyards, officials said, to look at the modern facilities developed by the Indian navy there.

A graduate of the Pakistan Naval Academy, the UAE Navy chief has held various staff and command appointments, which include head of operations, administration and deputy director of joint operations directorate of the UAE navy.