Maritime conclave of Indian Ocean Region nations kicks off

The second edition of the Goa Maritime Conclave, which is being attended by navies of littoral nations of the Indian Ocean, began at the Naval War College in Goa on Thursday.

A Navy official said the three-day conclave is aimed at promoting mutual interaction among countries in the Indian Ocean Region through diplomatic initiative in the maritime domain.

Top officials from the navies of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Seychelles, Mauritius and Indonesia are participating in the conclave.

Key areas on which discussions will be held during the conclave include emerging maritime threats in the Indian Ocean Region, capacity building of navies of littoral countries in the Indian Ocean and strategies to improve inter-operability of different navies.

As per officials, India is looking forward to consolidate its strategic position in the Indian Ocean Region through bilateral defence co-operation with its neighbour countries.

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is currently on a five-day visit to Maldives in order to consolidate military ties between the two countries. The Indian Coast Guard is also simultaneously undertaking a training programme for its Maldivian counterparts in Chennai.IANS