Vishakhapatnam. 06 February 2016. The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee witnessed the International Fleet Review-2016 today (February 6, 2016) at Visakhapatnam. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2016 while showcasing the prowess of the Indian Navy, has brought together navies from across the globe here on Indian shores, signifying our common desire to use the seas to promote peace, cooperation and friendship, as also to develop partnerships for a secure maritime future. “Presence of foreign countries in such large numbers has made this international event spectacular and truly reflects the spirit of this IFR, we are indeed ‘United through Oceans’. IFR 2016 has enabled us to join hands and work together to secure our seas for the greater good of humanity and the world,” he added.
Appreciating the roles of the navies of the world in promoting goodwill, nurturing peace and tranquillity of the 
oceans, he said, “ships and personnel participating at this momentous fleet review are ambassadors of great nations that they represent. The message of friendship and goodwill of their people strengthens our belief in promoting peace, prosperity and stability for mutual co-existence and ensuring secure seas. “
oceans, he said, “ships and personnel participating at this momentous fleet review are ambassadors of great nations that they represent. The message of friendship and goodwill of their people strengthens our belief in promoting peace, prosperity and stability for mutual co-existence and ensuring secure seas. “The navies world over have conducted Fleet Reviews to symbolise their loyalty, allegiance to the nation, and strengthen bonds between the sailors and the state and the International Fleet Review 2016 does that and much more, feels the President. “ The message of friendship and goodwill of your people strengthens our belief in promoting peace, prosperity and stability for mutual co-existence and ensuring secure seas. I understand that your interactions during the past few days of your stay here have been exciting and you all are keenly looking forward to take part in passage exercises and will ‘sail together’ on completion of IFR,” he said.
“India’s geographical location, astride the major shipping routes of the Indian Ocean, gives it a pivotal maritime role. Considering the globalised nature of today’s political and economic environment, it is our belief that the present day maritime domain requires navies across the world to re-focus their efforts to counter the rising tide of non-traditional maritime challenges in the brown, green and blue waters across all oceans. The Indian Navy, accordingly, has re-aligned its maritime strategy, to reflect the changes in the evolving global environment, and has established a credible record of cooperative initiatives to promote stability of the oceans, and played a central role in ensuring safety of the vital sea lines of communication, across the Indian Ocean,” felt the Supreme Commander of the force.
