India and Oman Coast Guards Meet to Combat Transnational Illegal Activities at Sea

The meeting between the Indian Coast Guard and the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard focused on strengthening bilateral engagements through a capacity-building programme.

New Delhi:To ensure maritime security, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard (ROPCG) held a crucial talk here in New Delhi on Tuesday to combat transnational illegal activities at sea and promote regional cooperation. This comes as both sides held the 5th Annual High-Level Meeting and the discussions were led by Director General Rakesh Pal from the ICG. The ROPCG delegation was headed by Assistant Officer Commanding Colonel Abdul Aziz Mohammed Ali Al Jabri.

The meeting focused on bolstering bilateral engagements through a capacity-building programme, cross-ship visits, implementation of the Sea Rider programme, establishing professional linkages between pollution reporting centres and other collaborative arrangements. Both sides expressed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in addressing maritime challenges, thereby strengthening the maritime safety and security framework in the region.

A meeting between a ROPCG delegation and representatives from the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers is planned in New Delhi on April 25 to acquaint it with India's shipbuilding capabilities under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. It is pertinent to note that the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman have been participating in various avenues of foreign cooperation, including operations, training and the exchange of Subject Matter Experts across diverse fields.

INS Visakhapatnam, a Guided Missile Destroyer, that has been designed and constructed indigenously in India, arrived in Oman on July 30 to participate in the MPX, which commenced on August 3, 2023.