India, April 17 -- The European Union's naval force in the Indian Ocean has proposed a joint exercise with the Indian Navy focused on counter-piracy and building interoperability, reflecting the growing maritime security cooperation between the two sides.

The proposal was made during a visit to India this week by the operation commander of EU naval force Atalanta, Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, who said the two sides have a shared interest in ensuring the Indian Ocean remains a "free, open, sustainable and inclusive area free of dangers".

Warships of EU member states deployed with naval force Atalanta in the Indian Ocean have regularly held "passex" or passing exercises with the Indian Navy, which are limited in scale. The exe...