@rajnathsingh
Indian Ocean Region plus (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave was hosted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar today. The conclave was attended by representatives of 40 countries. The conclave aims to promote strategic and commercial partnerships within the IOR countries, in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
The theme of the conclave was ‘Challenges Opportunities and Collaborations in the Indian Ocean.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Rajnath Singh described the Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR as the theme of New Delhi’s Indian Ocean Policy. Giving the example of adverse impact on the energy and food security for the most vulnerable countries due to the recent Ukrainian conflict, Mr. Singh called for collective efforts towards addressing the present and emerging threats to security & stability in the IOR.
He appreciated the fact that piracy has been suppressed in the Western Indian Ocean with concerted international effort. Mr. Singh reiterated the Government’s commitment to build capacities of partner countries by providing ships, maritime aircraft, Coastal Radar and other Surveillance systems, training, and access to Indian shipyards.
Mr. Singh termed sustainable exploitation of maritime resources as an important means for growth and development of nations across the IOR in the 21st century. He called for a collaborative effort in ensuring that the maritime expanse of the Indian Ocean is peaceful and optimally harnessed for ensuring regional and global food security.
The Defence Minister reiterated that India unequivocally rejects any hierarchical conception of global order and the pretensions of moral superiority in international relations. He asserted that New Delhi believes in a global order based on mutual respect and benefit of every country.
The Defence Minister said, “We do not subscribe to the zero-sum paradigm of strategic competition. Rather, we believe in a win-win paradigm of international relations.”
Mr. Singh urged the IOR countries to leverage the R&D ecosystem created by the Government in India for the mutual benefit for all. He said, with the right policies and framework, India is poised to be a global R&D hub. He also held bilateral meetings with delegation leaders from Bangladesh, Angola, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Paraguay.
Yesterday, the second edition of India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) was held on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022. The dialogue saw the participation of representatives from 50 African countries. Gandhinagar declaration was adopted as an outcome of IADD.
The India-Africa Security fellowship programme was also launched to provide an opportunity to African scholars to pursue research on defence and security issues in India.
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