“Goa Maritime Conclave, step in the direction of cooperation and collaboration” says Rajnath Singh

Panaji (Goa) [India], October 30 (ANI): Defence minister Rajnath Singh in his address at the Maritime conclave has said that the sea has shaped our history since time immemorial and it continues to influence our lives today and will shape our destiny in the future.

“I have no hesitation in saying that if we cooperate and collaborate, the future of our region holds immense promise. The Goa Maritime Conclave is a step in that direction of cooperation, collaboration, discussion, and dialogue as inhabitants of the Indian Ocean Region, all of us know that the relationship between humans and oceans is multifaceted, often characterized by a dual nature that encompasses dependence and vulnerability, as well as preservation and exploitation,” Rajnath Singh said.

“Oceans have always appealed to human imagination. Oceans are undeniably majestic and overwhelming. Their sheer size commands respect and admiration from all who contemplate their grandeur,” he added.

He further said that the international Maritime laws must be respected.

“We have to work out and agree on our common priorities. A free, open and rules-bound maritime order is a priority for all of us. “Might is right” has no place in such a maritime order. Respect for international maritime laws, as enunciated in the UNCLOS, 1982, must be our lodestar,” the Defence Minister said.

The Indian Navy under the aegis of Naval War College, Goa is holding the fourth edition of Goa Maritime Conclave- 2023 from October 29 to 31.

“The concept of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, when applied in the domain of international relations, can explain and analyse various situations where countries face strategic decision-making challenges. For example, when two or more countries engage in an arms race, they often do so out of mutual fear and mistrust. The challenge is to find solutions that promote cooperation, build trust, and mitigate the risks associated with the Prisoner’s Dilemma situations in international relations. Hence, it is important for the countries to build trust between them so that optimally collaborative interaction is possible for our mitigation frameworks,” Rajnath Singh added.

“If the threats that we face are supra-national in scope and impact, national efforts to address them would indeed have limited effects. The regional challenges can, to the best of my understanding, be managed through multi-national, collaborative mitigation frameworks,” he added.

The interactive sessions of the fourth edition of the Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC), an initiative of the Indian Navy, commenced this morning wherein Chiefs of Navies/ Heads of Maritime Forces from 12 countries of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) are participating. These include Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. These sessions are scheduled to be conducted over two days, 30 & 31 Oct 2023 under the aegis of the Naval War College, Goa.

The theme for this edition of the conclave is “Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean Region: Converting Common Maritime Priorities into Collaborative Mitigating Frameworks.”

Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi, the Flag Officer-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command delivered the initial welcome address wherein he thanked all the delegations for their participation in the Indian Navy’s initiative to harness the joint potential of all in the IOR towards a common future. He emphasised the persistent commitment of the Indian Navy towards a secure and inclusive IOR.