18/10/2021 (Agence Europe) – On 16 October, the EU and Japan conducted a joint naval exercise off the coast of the Gulf of Aden and of the Arabian Sea. The exercise involved assets of Operation Atalanta and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force. Furthermore, the participating assets exchanged information with the Oman Maritime Security Centre. Based on the scenario of an anti-piracy operation, the joint naval exercise included boarding a vessel, cross-deck helicopter landings, complex tactical evolutions and a joint patrol in the high seas, according to a statement from the European External Action Service (EEAS). The EEAS points out that the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, presented on 16 September, provides for more joint operations with partners in the region to promote maritime safety there (see EUROPE 12792/1). (CG)