Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi has said that Pakistan wishes to further build its relationship with the United States on the basis of mutual respect and mutuality of interests.   

He said this while talking to representatives of Pakistan and American media at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.            

Reiterating Pakistan's position on the Afghan conflict, the Naval Chief said it believed that an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process is the only way forward.

He said Pakistan is a very active member of Combined Task Force 151 which took part in counter piracy and anti narcotics operations.

The Naval Chief said Pakistan would be holding a multilateral naval exercise in February next year in which 50 navies from around the world would participate.