Cooperation with Pakistan after 2005 quake exemplary disaster management: NATO Sec Gen
October 10, 2018
BELGRADE: The NATO-led Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) consequence management field exercise, called ''SRBIJA 2018”, is being conducted from October 8 to 11 in Mladenovac, Serbia.
Jointly organised by EADRCC and the Ministry of the Interior of Serbia, the field exercise aims to improve interoperability in international disaster response operations and features around 2,000 personnel from almost 40 countries.
From Pakistan, a team of 17 rescuers, organised under the National Disaster Management Authority, is among the participants at the exercise. The team includes Pakistan Army and Air Force civilian members of the National Disaster Management Authority.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who inaugurated the exercise, praised the cooperation between NATO and Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating 2005 earthquake. The quake struck the northern regions of Pakistan on October 8, 2005, killing almost 100,000 people, injuring more than 140,000 and leaving 3.5 million homeless.
Mentioning the tragedy, Stoltenberg hailed the cooperation between NATO and Pakistan as a great example of disaster management.
Lauding the exercise, Major Amjad, leader of the Pakistani delegation, said it will not only help improve understanding and capacity of the team to handle disasters but also enhance ties with NATO and Serbia.
The team will also witness and learn various techniques and technologies being used by various countries in disaster management, he added.
Expressing his appreciation of the Pakistani delegation, the in-charge of Virtual Reality exercise told Geo News that Pakistan’s participation will be mutually beneficial for NATO as well as the country itself.
The two foundation concepts EADRCC exercises are built upon are ‘interoperability’ and ‘innovation’. Pakistan is working with the Virtual Reality exercise team for the second consecutive year.
