- In the direction of furthering the relationship between the two countries, India has promised a second Advanced Light Helicopter, Dhruv (indigenously-built), to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
- Earlier in 2010, India had donated an ALH to Maldives.
- India and the Maldives have maintained close ties over the years and Indian naval ships and aircraft were deployed for surveillance of the Maldivian exclusive economic zone at their request.
- Over the years, the Indian Navy has trained Mauritian naval pilots; extended training support to several nations, including Vietnam, conducted coordinated joint patrols, and supplied military hardware (including surveillance aircraft) to countries like Myanmar.
- This is a part of the geostrategic measures undertaken by India to support friendly nations in the Indian Ocean rim to augment capacity.
- Initiatives such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a geographical grouping of 35 Indian Ocean littorals, and biennial naval exercise ‘Milan’ went a long way in reaffirming the confidence nations in the region had in India.
Related Information:
Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
- IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues and, in the process, endeavors to generate a flow of information between naval professionals that would lead to common understanding and possibly agreements on the way ahead.
- The inclusiveness of this forum means that all the principal maritime agencies of states in the IOR are members, unless they desire otherwise, thereby involving participation by almost all the littorals in the region to address cooperative maritime issues.
Milan:
- Milan basically is a biennial conglomeration of Asia-Pacific maritime navies, hosted by the Indian Navy, to foster bonds of ‘friendship across the seas’, boost interoperability and share views on common maritime issues.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
- IORA was established in 1997 to promote cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. It seeks to expand mutually beneficial cooperation through a consensus-based, evolutionary and non-intrusive approach. IORA is the only regional forum linking most countries on the Indian Ocean rim through an annual Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
- In 2011 six priority areas of cooperation were identified for IORA. These include: Maritime Safety and Security, Trade and Investment Facilitation, Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk Management, Academic and Science & Technology Cooperation, and Tourism and Cultural Exchanges.
No comments:
Post a Comment