On Tuesday in the Arabian Sea, a six-day multinational naval exercise hosted by Pakistan ended.

With the participation of some 45 nations, including the United States, Russia, China, and Turkey, the exercise, a biannual affair since 2007, ended with the closing ceremony attended by President Arif Alvi of Pakistan, the three chiefs of services, ministers, and foreign diplomats of the region.

Speaking at the ceremony, Alvi stressed that with concerted efforts by all stakeholders, the exercise will pave the way to make the area more peaceful and stable.

Significantly, this is the first time in a decade that Russia has joined NATO members in a military drill. The last such time was in 2011, off the coast of Spain, during the Bold Monarch 2011 exercise.

Regional countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, as well as member states of the African Union, with their "surface and air assets" and maritime teams, also took part in the exercise.

Maritime Business World