INS Tushil Commanding Officer meets Moroccan military leadership to discuss bilateral cooperation

The Commanding Officer of the Indian Navy warship INS Tushil, Captain Peter Varghese, met Brigadier General Ahmed Kartouf, Commander of Weapons of the Casablanca Area, and senior Moroccan military leadership to discuss issues of mutual interest between India and Morocco during INS Tushil’s port call at Casablanca, Morocco.

The Indian Navy’s spokesperson shared details of the meeting in a post on X: “#INSTushil in Casablanca Capt Peter Varghese, the Commanding Officer, called on Brigadier General Ahmed Kartouf, Commander of Weapons of Casablanca Area & senior Moroccan Military leadership & other key appointments of #RoyalMoroccanNavy.”

The post also noted that issues of mutual interest and avenues for further enhancing operational cooperation between the two navies were discussed. Additionally, the ship’s crew participated in yoga and held a friendly volleyball match with the host navy.

The Indian warship INS Tushil, on its maiden operational deployment, made a port call at Casablanca, Morocco, on December 27.

The visit marked an important step in strengthening maritime and diplomatic ties between India and Morocco, the Ministry of Defence stated.

According to the MoD, the visit aims to explore further avenues for collaboration between the two navies. Over the past 12 months, three Indian Navy ships–Tabar, Tarkash, and Sumedha–have visited Casablanca, significantly enhancing mutual trust and interoperability.

INS Tushil was commissioned on December 9, 2024, in Russia and is commanded by Captain Peter Varghese, supported by a dedicated team of 250 personnel. As the frigate continues its journey to its home port in Karwar, it will participate in collaborative exercises with friendly foreign navies, further promoting India’s maritime diplomacy in the region, the Ministry noted.

The visit by INS Tushil underlines efforts to further strengthen India-Morocco ties. Morocco, a maritime nation, holds a unique geographical position with coastlines along both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, similar to India’s strategic maritime positioning.