Vishakhapatnam: The City of Destiny is fully decked up for Milan-2022, which will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt at Samudrika Navy Auditorium. Later, he will inaugurate the Milan village, which will highlight Indian culture. There will be around 40 handicrafts stalls from various parts of the country, tourism stalls to showcase tourist places, and food stalls offering international and Indian cuisine. Some foreign navies are also setting up stalls in the village.
An international maritime seminar will be held on Sunday and Monday. Milan-2022 will be the largest edition of naval exercise as 40 nations are taking part in it. The biennial Milan is hosted by the Indian Navy to bring friendly navies together for professional interaction and to promote mutual understanding.
Meanwhile, 10 foreign ships have arrived to participate in Milan. Five ships arrived on Friday, while five already reached Vizag on Thursday. The Indian Navy extended a warm welcome to the crew of P-8A US Navy’s multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, which arrived at INS Dega.
About 2,000 naval personnel embarked on foreign warships and aircraft, 35-odd contingents will participate in the City Parade, a multidimensional Operation and Demonstration, and Flypast.
A large number of denizens are expected to throng the RK Beach Road on Sunday to witness Operation and Demonstration and the City Parade. Meanwhile, District Collector A Mallikharjun, along with Commissioner of Police Manish Kumar Sinha and Navy officials, conducted the advance security liaison as the Chief Minister will participate in the City Parade.
The harbor phase of the exercise will culminate on February 28, followed by the sea phase from March 1 to March 4. As implied by the authorities, this edition of Milan larger and more complex than all previous ones, reflecting India’s growing stature as a responsible and reliable partner in the maritime domain, underscoring the Indian Navy’s commitment to maritime security across the global commons. The goals of Milan are also being told to be aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region.
(With Agency Inputs)
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