Indo-Pacific Countries Urged to Increase Mutual Cooperation for Maritime Security

The Chief of the Naval Staff said that in the current situation, it is important to understand what affects the security of the seas. For this, countries in the Indo-Pacific region will have to increase mutual cooperation and work together to address common challenges. He hoped that the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue can play an important role in this direction. Admiral Swaminathan also mentioned the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) in his address. He pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this initiative during the 14th East Asia Summit held in Bangkok in November 2019. The aim is to promote maritime cooperation under seven key areas. The theme of this year's dialogue is Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation. The Admiralty Chief said that nature had connected these two oceans long before the concept of the Indo-Pacific became popular in strategic discussions. Deep ocean currents between the two seas and the archipelagos form a natural link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.