Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem Wynne, who was on an official visit to Australia, held meetings with Chiefs of Defence Staff from different countries attending the CHODS (Chief of Defence Staff Conference), on Tuesday. According to ISPR, the forum had been organized under the auspices of US Pacific Command (PACOM) on a yearly basis. It had been organized in Sydney (Australia) this year. Pakistan, placed at the rim of the PACOM’s area of responsibility, emerged as an important player in the north Arabian Sea with strategic sea lines of communications from Middle East leading to East Asia passing in proximity of its territorial waters. The chairman emphasized the security concerns of Pakistan and the response thereof. He said, “Pakistan is aware of its maritime security and the emerging importance of the Indian Ocean, Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence accentuated through co-operation and positive engagement”.
The meetings held in the side lines of CHODs improved the awareness about Pakistan’s security concerns and facilitated in enhancing mutual cooperation with different armed forces of the region.
The CJCSC held bilateral talks with Chiefs of Defence of Canada, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Vice Chief of Defence, UK and Commander US PACOM USA.
