Indian Navy affirms commitment to fostering regional maritime cooperation in Indian Ocean Region

The Indian Navy hosted the two-day Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Working Group Meeting on Maritime Security (IWG-MARSEC) on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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The event which brought together representatives from 13 IONS member nations—Australia, Bangladesh, France, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Thailand—witnessed extensive deliberations aimed at strengthening regional maritime security architecture.

 

As one of the key Working Groups of the IONS construct, the IWG-MARSEC serves as a dedicated platform for dialogue, cooperation, and actionable outcomes.

 

According to the defence ministry, the discussions focused on enhancing information-sharing frameworks, advancing maritime domain wareness (MDA), and adopting collaborative approaches to mitigate emerging threats. The working group also deliberated on the formulation of harmonised operational guidelines and practical measures to facilitate coordinated and timely regional responses.

 

Rear Admiral Nirbhay Bapna, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation & Intelligence), in the keynote address, reiterated India’s steadfast commitment to fostering regional maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and emphasised the growing need for multilateral mechanisms to effectively address contemporary maritime security challenges.

 

The outcomes of the meeting are expected to play a significant role in reinforcing the collective resolve of member navies to uphold a safe and secure IOR.

Maritime