Vice President Dhankar calls for deeper cooperation among nations in maritime domain

PTI, Feb 22, 2024, 5:37 PM IST

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Thursday inaugurated the international maritime seminar here as part of multinational naval exercise ‘MILAN 2024,’ and called on the participating nations to explore avenues for deeper cooperation, exchange of ideas and best practices.

The seminar is an important component of MILAN 2024, which offers convergence of global maritime excellence and serves as a platform for collaboration, synergy and growth among nations across the oceans.

”As we engage in discussions, let us collectively explore avenues for deeper cooperation, exchange of ideas and best practices to address the evolving challenges in the maritime domain,” Dhankar was quoted as saying in an official press release.

Themed ‘Partners across Oceans: Collaboration, Synergy, Growth,’ the seminar featured an array of presentations and deliberations in critical areas such as economic growth, maritime security, capacity building, climate change mitigation, blue economy initiatives and sustainable development of maritime infrastructure.

Further, the Vice President emphasised on the importance of protecting global supply chains, avoiding deeper regional tensions and strengthening maritime security.

”This august assemblage of domain experts serves as a testament to the shared commitment of nations towards ensuring the much needed maritime safety and security,” he said.

According to Dhankar, observing maritime order is quintessential for peace and harmony of the region, maintenance of supply chains and promotion of trade and commerce.

Moreover, the Vice President highlighted that ‘MILAN’ started with modest beginnings in 1995, which has now grown to see the participation of 15 warships and 51 delegations.

Chief of Naval Staff R Hari Kumar, Naval chiefs of friendly foreign countries, diplomats, delegates and several other senior dignitaries participated in the event.