NEW DELHI, Feb 15 (KUNA) — India and 26 other countries Friday announced to create an institutionalised mechanism for cooperation among their navies to combat terrorism in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
“The mechanism will be a platform for the Indian Ocean Rim countries to have regular exchange of information for safeguarding ships and resources,” Indias Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta told reporters here today.
“It is an initiative to ensure peace, security and economic propriety in the region, under the initiative, the countries have decided to join hands to counter any kind of challenges in the region including threats from terrorists, ” Mehta said at the end of second day of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).
“The platform should be against those who want to destabilise and terrorise the region. Fair amount of breeding of terrorists is taking place in the region. In some areas, terrorism is allowed to escalate. Discussion will take place for initiating measures to counter threats of terrorism in the region,” the Indian Navy Chief said.
“The initiative for bringing inter-operability among Navies of the region, will be discussed by the Navy chiefs with their respective governments after which a final charter and other issues will be taken up,” Admiral Mehta said.
The mechanism will have rotational chairmanship and rotational secretariat at an interval of two years.
Earlier in the day, Vice President of India, Mohd Hamid Ansari addressed the IONS impressing upon common concerns and the need for collective response including security issues in the IOR.
“The first IONS has been a success and throws up numerous positives for future. All attendees were fully supportive of the concept of IONS. The conclave agreed to a broad consensus that will be the guiding arrangement until the formal Charter is finally signed,” an Indian Defence Ministry official told KUNA here today. “The decisions reached at the symposium are that IONS will meet every two years; Cooperative endeavours such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief will be the immediate core area of thrust; A seminar for young Naval officers; Categories of membership was accepted in principle and it was further agreed that observers would be accepted only by common consensus,” the official added. IONS is divided into two parts — with the first two days (Feb 14-15) devoted to a seminar here and on Feb 16 the delegates will be in Western Indian state of Goa to participate in a closed-door conclave. Indian Prime Manmohan Singh addressed IONS yesterday.