Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari left Tehran for Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Friday to take part in the 5th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium.
Speaking to reporters before his departure, the top commander said a range of issues will be discussed in IONS 2016, including the significance of the Indian Ocean and its northern zones in the international trade, the role of regional economies and the connection between Southeast Asia and European Union, Tasnim News Agency reported.
The three-day symposium, which is a biennial event, is bringing together Navy commanders, experts and academics from the Indian Ocean littoral countries, and also from America, Europe and East Asia.
According to the commander, other topics to be discussed in the gathering will include the scourge of piracy in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Malacca, environmental issues, rescue of vessels and the naval presence along Indian Ocean coasts.
Sayyari also noted that the Iranian delegation will let participants know about the country's good experience in the fight against piracy, its technical know-how in the repair and maintenance of watercraft and military educational courses.
The commander said he will hold more than 12 high-profile meetings during his stay in Dhaka, including with the Bangladeshi Navy commander and minister of defense.
"Iran will host the next IONS meeting in 2018," he said.
The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussing maritime issues across the region, according to its website.
IONS has 26 members, including France and Britain.
The previous editions of the symposium were held in India, the UAE, South Africa and Australia.
