NEW DELHI: India and the European Union on Tuesday held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format, during which both sides committed to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a release said the consultations included developments in the maritime security environment, policy developments covering the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and India's Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative, India-EU maritime cooperation, and regional initiatives to address international maritime security issues.
India and the EU discussed cooperation, including in the field of maritime domain awareness, capacity-building, and joint naval activities, following their successful joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden in June 2021, the release said.
"India and the EU are committed to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, notably the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," the MEA said.
The meeting was co-chaired by Sandeep Arya, Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs at Ministry of External Affairs, India, and Joanneke Balfoort, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service.