The Hindu : News / International : India's plan for safe Indian Ocean
India has proposed a three-pronged approach that would enable countries on the Indian Ocean rim to work together for better protecting their sea lanes and tackling natural calamities.
Underscoring the critical importance of the Indian Ocean to international commerce and energy security, the visiting Indian naval chief, Nirmal Verma said: Two thirds of the world's oil shipments, one third of its bulk cargo, and half the world's container traffic passes through the expanse of the Indian Ocean. The world's pre-eminent energy and trade seaway, the Indian Ocean, will matter even more in future.
Admiral Verma, who spoke on Monday at the second Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in Abu Dhabi, pointed out that Indian ocean littoral countries needed to prepare themselves well to tackle three key issues; humanitarian disasters, protection of the environment and the scourge of piracy.
The naval chief proposed a brainstorming session among member countries that would lead to the conduct of a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise.
HADR could become one of the major fields of IONS activities, he stressed.
Delegations from 32 nations are attending this year's three-day conference, which opened on Monday.
The Indian Navy, which played a pioneering role in 2008, handed over the chairmanship of the IONS to Naval Staff Brigadier Ibrahim Salim Al Musharrakh, Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navy.
Highlighting the importance of concrete environmentally-friendly measures, the naval chief advocated the formation of a working group of a few navies within the IONS community that would propose measures to reduce our carbon footprints.
Responding to the grave threat posed by piracy, Admiral Verma suggested that limitations of assets among member countries could, in substantial measure, be overcome through a well coordinated and secure information exchange network.
For starters, information exchanges could begin at a sub-regional level.
The naval chief also emphasised honing the skills of naval personnel, especially in the field of navigation.
He also called for the sharing of hydrographic data based on the North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission (NIHOC)' model.
India has proposed a three-pronged approach that would enable countries on the Indian Ocean rim to work together for better protecting their sea lanes and tackling natural calamities.
Underscoring the critical importance of the Indian Ocean to international commerce and energy security, the visiting Indian naval chief, Nirmal Verma said: Two thirds of the world's oil shipments, one third of its bulk cargo, and half the world's container traffic passes through the expanse of the Indian Ocean. The world's pre-eminent energy and trade seaway, the Indian Ocean, will matter even more in future.
Admiral Verma, who spoke on Monday at the second Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in Abu Dhabi, pointed out that Indian ocean littoral countries needed to prepare themselves well to tackle three key issues; humanitarian disasters, protection of the environment and the scourge of piracy.
The naval chief proposed a brainstorming session among member countries that would lead to the conduct of a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise.
HADR could become one of the major fields of IONS activities, he stressed.
Delegations from 32 nations are attending this year's three-day conference, which opened on Monday.
The Indian Navy, which played a pioneering role in 2008, handed over the chairmanship of the IONS to Naval Staff Brigadier Ibrahim Salim Al Musharrakh, Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navy.
Highlighting the importance of concrete environmentally-friendly measures, the naval chief advocated the formation of a working group of a few navies within the IONS community that would propose measures to reduce our carbon footprints.
Responding to the grave threat posed by piracy, Admiral Verma suggested that limitations of assets among member countries could, in substantial measure, be overcome through a well coordinated and secure information exchange network.
For starters, information exchanges could begin at a sub-regional level.
The naval chief also emphasised honing the skills of naval personnel, especially in the field of navigation.
He also called for the sharing of hydrographic data based on the North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission (NIHOC)' model.
