EU-INDIA
SECURITY DIALOGUE - DEFENCE & SECURITY
News:
Defence Attaché presence,
naval exercise among steps by India, EU to strengthen cooperation
What's
in the news?
●
As India and the European Union (EU) look
to expand defence and security cooperation, the EU’s first Defence Attaché took
charge earlier this month while the two sides also held the first naval
exercise recently, while officials noted that the ambit of security cooperation
is expanding especially with focus on the Indo-Pacific.
Key
takeaways:
●
The officials have increased the number of
maritime exercises between the EU and India, especially France and Italy.
●
The
EU is now not only a trade and investment partner but also a security partner.
EU-India
Security Dialogue:
●
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, EU-India maritime cooperation, and
regional initiatives to address international maritime security issues.
●
The EU and India 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 EU and India 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 meeting was co-chaired by Ms Joanneke
Balfoort, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External
Action Service and Mr Sandeep Arya, Joint Secretary for Disarmament and
International Security Affairs at India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Maiden
Naval Exercise:
●
India and EU conducted their first joint
naval exercise in the Gulf of Guinea which saw the participation of Indian Navy’s INS Sumedha, an Offshore
Patrol Vessel, joined by Italian Navy Ship ITS Foscari, French Navy Ship FS
Ventôse and Spanish Navy Ship Tornado.
Significance:
●
The naval exercise reflected the breadth
and dynamism of EU-India cooperation on maritime security, and signalled the
common determination to uphold the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea.