India-EU Hold Second Maritime Security Dialogue
New Delhi, Feb 1: India and the European Union held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format today, during which the two sides discussed cooperation in the field of maritime domain awareness, capacity-building and joint naval activities.
The consultations included developments in the maritime security environment, policy developments covering the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative, India-EU maritime cooperation, and regional initiatives to address international maritime security issues.
The two sides held successful joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden in June 2021. India and the EU are committed to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, notably the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an official statement said.
The meeting was co-chaired by Sandeep Arya, Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs at Ministry of External Affairs, India, and Joanneke Balfoort, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service.
The meeting comes days after France, that holds the current presidency of the EU, said it will host a ministerial meeting focused on the Indo-Pacific on February 22, to which India will be invited.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had announced this during an online discussion with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar last week. Le Drian also said that France’s presidency of the European Union will allow for strengthening of the partnership between India and the 27-member bloc, especially with regard to cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
He said the Paris Forum will be aimed at concretization of the principles of the rule of law with regard to the Indo-Pacific and on post Covid recovery. The Paris Forum would be focused on security and defence, on connectivity and digital, and global challenge On 16 September 2021, the European Union (EU) released its final Indo-Pacific Strategy document titled ‘The EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’ with “intent to increase its engagement with the region”.
The initial plan for the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy was adopted by the members in April last year, when the European Council had laid down the deadline of September 2021 for a full-fledged Indo-Pacific Strategy.
