India, EU Hold Second Maritime Security Dialogue - Foreign Ministry

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2022) India and the European Union on Tuesday held a second maritime security dialogue in the Indo-Pacific region via videoconference, the Indian Foreign Ministry said.

"India and the European Union held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format on 1 February 2022. 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," the statement, published by the Indian Foreign Ministry, read.

The sides discussed further cooperation in the field of maritime domain awareness, capacity-building and joint naval activities, the statement went on. The two sides held a successful naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden in June 2021.

The parties reaffirmed their commitment "to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region" with respect for sovereignty and international law, and expressed their determination to resolve disputes peacefully in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).