Free and open Indo-Pacific a pivotal aspect of India's maritime security:Rajnath Singh

"The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) accounts for more than two-thirds of the world's oil shipments. One-third of bulk cargo and more than half of container traffic pass through it. The safety of these sea routes is not only directly connected to our economic interests, but it also establishes India as a Net Security Provider in IOR," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated

New Delhi:Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurating the three-day 39th Commanders’ Conference of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in New Delhi on Monday hailed the efforts of the ICG and stressed the need to maintain maritime preparedness in the constantly-changing global scenario as well as create a rule-based, peaceful environment in the Indian Ocean Region, which is pivotal for regional and global prosperity.

Speaking about the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, a major sea-borne trade route, which has gained significant attention from the QUAD and other Western nations and is an important aspect of India's maritime security, Singh said, “The growing regional and global trade in this region has brought forth new challenges. Geopolitical tensions and a clash of strategic interests have led to traditional security challenges. Terrorism, drug trafficking and piracy are some non-traditional challenges in front of us today. Being a responsible maritime power, we have a clear interest to create a rule-based, peaceful and stable environment. Such a rule-based environment is essential for both regional and global prosperity. In such a situation, the ICG has a big role to play.”

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Without mentioning China whose expansionist agenda has become a matter of concern in the region, Singh underscored India’s geographical location in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is crucial from the strategic and economic point of view. "The IOR accounts for more than two-thirds of the world's oil shipments. One-third of bulk cargo and more than half of container traffic pass through it. The safety of these sea routes is not only directly connected to our economic interests, but it also establishes India as a Net Security Provider in IOR," he stated

“Our long coastline with deep-water ports, a prosperous Exclusive Economic Zone and islands at both ends present a unique position…The safety of these sea routes is not only directly connected to our economic interests, but it also establishes India as a Net Security Provider in IOR,” he said.

Hailing the efforts of the ICG, the Defence Minister while recalling the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks said, “The incident showed that for a long time, the country’s orientation was focused on the security of land borders and not much attention was paid to coastal security. But now, due to the efforts of ICG, the country has not witnessed any terror activity from the sea route since the 2008 Mumbai attacks”, he said.