India and Australia held a Maritime Security Dialogue.
New Delhi [India], August 13 : The sixth India-Australia Maritime Security Dialogue took place in Canberra on Tuesday, according to a release from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The Indian delegation was led by Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary of Disarmament and International Security Affairs at the MEA, while the Australian delegation was headed by Sarah Storey, First Assistant Secretary of the South Asia and Central Asia Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Bernard Philip, First Assistant Secretary of International Policy at the Department of Defence.
During the dialogue, the two sides discussed strategies to maintain a safe and secure maritime environment that fosters inclusive growth and global well-being.
They exchanged views on various topics of mutual interest, including the maritime security environment in the Indo-Pacific region, maritime domain awareness, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) coordination, regional and multilateral engagements, and the sustainable use of marine resources. The discussions also covered cooperation in areas such as Search and Rescue (SAR), pollution response, the blue economy, and Port State control.
Both parties explored ways to further strengthen their bilateral cooperation in these areas and discussed the future direction for collaboration within the maritime ecology pillar of the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative (IPOI).
The next round of the dialogue is scheduled to be held in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date, as mentioned in the release.