Keynote address by Secretary (East) at the 6th EAS Conference on Maritime Security

Ambassador Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro
Assistant Secretary Glenn Elson,
Vice Admiral Chauhan,
Ambassadors/High Commissioners/Consuls General from EAS Participating Countries,
Distinguished speakers and guests, including those with us online
A very Good morning to you!

I welcome you all to the 6th edition of the EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation.

And welcome to Mumbai, the commercial, financial and entertainment capital of India, home to our central bank, stock exchanges, financial institutions and of course Bollywood. I do hope that you will enjoy your stay in Mumbai - the city of dreams.

In so many ways Mumbai exemplifies a maritime city and the importance of the oceans for its growth and prosperity.

Let me straight away thank Australia and Indonesia for co-chairing this Conference with India. I would also like to acknowledge the ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) at RIS and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) who are our collaborators in organising this Conference. Thank you also to my colleagues in the Ministry of External Affairs of India who have worked hard on this the sixth iteration of this Conference.

This year, we mark a decade of India's Act East Policy - a policy enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi right after he took office for the first time. ASEAN is a crucial pillar of this policy, and of our vision for the wider Indo-Pacific. India is a firm supporter of ASEAN Unity, ASEAN Centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

India accords high priority to the East Asia Summit mechanism. This unique Leaders-led mechanism is both a platform for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and Asia's leading confidence-building mechanism. The success of EAS owes much to the central role of ASEAN.

As a founding member of the East Asia Summit (EAS), India's endeavor has been to implement its Plan of Action through various initiatives including this Conference.

Since this EAS conference was first held in 2015 in New Delhi five editions have been held so far and I am happy to convene the sixth today. The presence of EAS Participating Countries in such strength today, almost all the EAS States are present, is a reflection of our mutual trust and confidence in this mechanism.

Seas and oceans have played a vital role in the development of civilizations throughout history. The Arthashastra which is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, mentions the importance of shipbuilding and maritime administration. Indian ships were known for their advanced design and construction, and Indian sailors were skilled navigators who used the stars and the monsoon winds to their advantage.

Oceans define our existence today. For us, the Indian Ocean historically held a central position, by supporting trade and sustaining livelihoods, offering connectivity and resources. Indeed Indian sailors and merchants roamed over much of what is now known as the Indo-Pacific. In this interconnected world, it is this wider Indo-Pacific region and its safety, security, stability and prosperity which hold critical significance for all of us.

The significance of ensuring Maritime Security and of enhancing cooperation between countries thus cannot be overemphasized. To maintain the seas and oceans as free, open and inclusive spaces and to ensure secure sea lines of communication based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), the Constitution of the Seas, we must work together.

As to India's approach, SAGAR or 'Security and Growth for all in the Region' was articulated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2015. The concept of SAGAR focuses on cooperative measures for sustainable use of the oceans, and provides a framework for a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain in the region. Our Vision for the Indo-Pacific was also outlined by Prime Minister Modi in his Keynote Address at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore in June 2018.

At the 14th East Asia Summit in 2019, he announced the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) as the practical implementation of a shared Vision for the Indo-Pacific with focus on collaborative efforts to better manage, conserve, sustain and secure the maritime domain.

The Indo-Pacific Ocean's Initiative or the IPOI shares convergences with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Taking this forward, the Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity in the Region was issued on the occasion of the ASEAN-India Summit in 2021 for practical cooperation based on the synergy that exists between AOIP and IPOI. India supports ASEAN's continued efforts at mainstreaming the AOIP and has been focusing efforts towards the implementation of the Joint Statement.

Several of the EAS Participating Countries attending today's conference are our partners in the Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative. I take this opportunity to invite other countries to join the Initiative to strengthen maritime cooperation in the Region.

India's contribution to EAS goals, including maritime security cooperation, is based on our deep commitment towards strengthening the EAS as an ASEAN-led mechanism. Allow me to touch upon some of our key recent activities taken up through ASEAN led mechanisms which are illustrative of the convergences that we have with ASEAN:

a) In line with the commitment made at the first ASEAN-India Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting held in 2022, we implemented the Initiative for women in UN Peacekeeping Operations as well as Initiative on Marine Plastic Pollution Response towards improving the marine ecosystem;
b) The 1st ever ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise was conducted in 2023;
c) India co-chaired the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (EWG on HADR) with Indonesia in 2020-2023;
d) The ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation was adopted in 2023;
e) We have co-chaired the ASEAN Regional Forum Inter Sessional Meeting on Maritime Security with our partners;
f) We continue to work shoulder to shoulder with ASEAN, in line with the objectives laid out in the ASEAN Maritime Outlook (AMO);
g) We have organised workshops on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUU Fishing) and EAS Workshop on Combating Marine Plastic Pollution in collaboration with partners;
h) As an outcome of the 4th EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation held on 6-7 February 2020 in Chennai, we shared the Draft EAS Guidelines on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Draft EAS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Search and Rescue (SAR). We look forward to seeing progress on this.

Internally, the Government of India has taken a number of measures to strengthen maritime security. Broadly, these measures include capacity augmentation of maritime security agencies for surveillance and patrolling of the nation's maritime zones; enhanced technical surveillance of coastal and offshore areas; establishment of mechanisms for inter-agency coordination; increased regulation of activities in the maritime zones; as also integration of the fishing and coastal communities. Indian Naval ships and aircraft are regularly deployed on 'Mission Based Deployments' to enhance maritime security.

The oceans and seas have supported the growth and development of nations and civilizations. At the same time, we have seen the tragedy of tsunamis and cyclones. Terror has often visited us from the sea. Sixteen years ago this very hotel was attacked from the sea - by terrorists sent by a neighbouring state. Twenty three people were killed in this hotel. We do not forget. Piracy has taken a heavy toll of lives and trade on a scale that seems difficult to belief in this modern era. Illegal fishing depletes our precious marine resources and oil spills damage the marine environment for years. We have also seen that instability and turmoil in coastal and island states can have profound impact on security on the seas.

In recent months, the frequent armed attacks against merchant vessels by the use of Drones, Cruise Missiles and Ballistic Missiles have caused grave concern for all of us. Apart from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, such attacks have occurred in the Indian Ocean Region relatively close to the Indian EEZ as well.

The Indian Navy has had ships on extended deployment to counter these threats and to protect these sea lanes. Indian naval ships and aircraft have rendered assistance such as fire fighting, medical aid and rescue of crew/ survivors and interdiction of hostile vessels. Some such incidents are the cases of MV Chem Pluto, MV Genco Picardy, MV Marlin Luanda, MV MSC Sky II, MV True Confidence and MV Andromeda Star.

The Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) has provided a useful platform for developing maritime domain awareness and has been sharing information with partner countries. Many of you are familiar with the IFC-IOR and are also its active partners.

Significant cooperation in maritime security is also being undertaken under various other regional mechanisms such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the 60-country Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia, the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), and under the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment where India is playing an important role.

The oceans and seas that connect our world should be the pathways of peace and prosperity for all. To ensure this is one of our greatest collective responsibilities. We see growing global stakes and interest in the waters of the Indo-Pacific Region. In our inter-connected world, these waters hold the key to stability and prosperity. And, we will all prosper when the seas are safe, secure and free for all.

Our vision for maritime cooperation is rooted in advancing cooperation in our region; and, to contribute our capabilities for the benefit of all in our common maritime home. We support all efforts to strengthen regional mechanisms for maritime cooperation - from dealing with piracy, terrorism and other crimes; to marine safety and natural disasters.

I am confident that our discussions over these two days at this EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation will contribute towards the current zeitgeist in the spirit of openness, inclusivity and transparency that is the hallmark of the EAS forum. I again welcome all distinguished delegates to this Conference and wish it all success.

Thank you.

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