Page 5 - Indian Ocean

Navy to host workshop on sharing information on the Indian Ocean

The regional maritime security community will review progress in this initiative after gathering in Gurgaon for the Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2023 (MISW 23)

Sri Lanka key partner in free and open Indo-Pacific: Japan's Yoshimasa

Sri Lanka with its location at a strategic juncture along the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean is an important partner in realising a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa said here on Saturday. Yoshimasa arrived here late on Friday on a two-day visit to the island nation after meetings in New Delhi. He held talks with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday, amidst China's aggressive investment projects in the cash-strapped nation. At today's (Saturday's) meeting, I explained about the new plan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced in March this year," he said. Yoshimasa was referring to the Japanese prime minister's statement that Japan attaches importance to cooperation with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to be chaired by Sri Lanka in October this year. The US, India and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving ...

Indian Ocean's 'gravity hole' opens doors to secrets of Earth's origin

According to a study, the 'gravity hole' took its current shape around 20 million years ago and will likely last millions more

Indian Navy form 'Ocean Ring of Yoga' on 9th International Yoga Day

Naval ships deployed in the Indian Ocean region are visiting ports of friendly foreign countries and spreading the message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' on International Day of Yoga forming an 'Ocean Ring of Yoga', the Indian Navy said on Wednesday. Yoga day events and activities are being conducted on Indian naval ships, including Kiltan, Chennai, Shivalik, Sunayna, Trishul, Tarkash, Vagir, Sumitra and Brahmaputra -- all of which are deployed in the Indian Ocean Region. Port calls by Indian naval ships include those at Chattogram in Bangladesh, Safaga in Egypt, Jakarta in Indonesia, Mombasa in Kenya, Toamasina in Madagascar, Muscat in Oman, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Phuket in Thailand and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where yoga sessions are being organised in accordance with the "Common Yoga Protocol". Nearly 3,500 naval personnel on board 19 Indian Navy ships have travelled more than 35,000 kilometres as ambassadors of yoga in both national and international waters, the Indian Navy

Pak to examine Iran's Indian Ocean alliance proposal maritime security

Pakistan has said it will examine the proposal floated by Iran with regard to forming an Indian Ocean naval alliance aimed at ensuring collective maritime security, media reports said.

UNCLOS violation damages trust; Choke points in IOR crucial: Dy NSA Misri

Indian Deputy NSA sent out an indirect message about the Chinese activity in the South China Sea at Shangri La dialogue

Indian navy flies to rescue of Chinese fishermen in Southern Indian Ocean

However, naval sources say that the location and rescue of any fishermen has so far been prevented by severe weather conditions

2,500 kg of drugs worth Rs 12,000 cr seized by NCB, Navy in Indian waters

In a massive drug bust, nearly 2,500 kilograms of methamphetamine worth around Rs 12,000 crore was seized from a vessel in Indian waters along the Kerala coast in a joint operation by the Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the anti-drug agency said on Saturday. The NCB said it was the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the country and a Pakistani national has been detained in connection with it. Giving details of the seizure at a press conference held here, NCB Deputy Director General (Ops) Sanjay Kumar Singh said it was carried out as part of 'Operation Samudragupt' which targeted maritime trafficking of drugs originating from Afghanistan. This is the third major seizure by NCB of maritime trafficking of drugs through the southern route in the last one and a half years, the agency said. As part of the operation, so far around 3,200 kg of methamphetamine, 500 kg of heroin and 529 kg of hashish has been seized, it said. The first seizure in the operation was made in ..

Resilient future of nations along Indian Ocean requires trust: Hasina

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said that the resilient future of the nations along the Indian ocean coastlines require respect and mutual trust among them, stressing that her nation was committed to playing its role for peace in the region. Opening the two-day 6th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) here in the Bangladeshi capital, Hasina said that Indian ocean held significant importance for not only Bangladesh, but for all the countries in the region due to its geographical position. "We remain committed to playing our role for peace in the region, and expect all other countries to do the same to ensure a resilient future," she said during the conference, which is being organised by Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry along with India Foundation, a think tank based out of New Delhi. Hasina said the Indian Ocean held significant importance for not only Bangladesh, but for all the countries in the region due to its geographical position that prompted Dhaka to formulate recent

Textiles ministry efforts led to CBI probe against 12 in subsidy fraud case

External Affairs Minister S Jaishanakar, on Friday, reiterated India's commitment to the well-being of Indian Ocean countries

India monitored Chinese ships during military drill in South China Sea

Ships participating in the Asean-India security exercises were expected to track simulated vessels of interest and practice dealing with unplanned encounters to reduce the likelihood of accidents

It is crucial to maintain peace, security in Indian Ocean: India, Maldives

India and the Maldives on Wednesday reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security in the Indian Ocean as they underscored the significance of respecting international law and rules-based international order, amid China's growing influence in the strategically vital region. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who arrived here on Monday on the invitation of his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Didi, also jointly laid the foundation stone for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Ekatha harbour in Male in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of SAGAR or Security And Growth for All in the Region. The development of the Coastguard Harbour and repair facility at Sifavaru is one of the biggest grant-in-aid projects of India. During his visit, Singh and Didi held bilateral talks to enhance defence cooperation and strengthen the longstanding partnership between India and Maldives. "They discussed a wide range of regional and global security issues of mutu

Indonesian fishing ship capsizes in Indian Ocean, leaving 1 dead, 9 missing

The search and rescue operation by the personnel of the Bali office involved two ships. Poor weather conditions had hampered the mission, according to him

Navy extends watch over the Indian Ocean region: Ministry of Defence

Now the IFC-IOR's partnership with the RCOC, Seychelles, allows the Indian Navy to focus its watch further south

Minerals in Indian Ocean can turn India self-sufficient in nickel, cobalt

Vast mineral deposits in the Indian Ocean can make India self-sufficient in nickel and cobalt, a top official of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) said on Tuesday. Nickel and cobalt are critical ingredients in the lithium-ion batteries used in most electric vehicles, which are zero-emission automobiles. Praising the Indian government's efforts in this direction through its Deep Ocean Mission, Michael W Lodge, ISA's Secretary-General, also exuded confidence that India can become a global leader in deep sea mining. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of International Conference on Seabed Mining', held at the Gujarat National Law University in Gandhinagar. India was one of the very first pioneer investors in deep sea mining, starting from the 1980s. In recent years, there has been enormous progress. Under the Deep Ocean Mission, India's progress was phenomenal. India has the potential to become a global leader in deep sea mineral exploration and exploitation, said ...

DGPs meet: China wants to reduce India's influence in Indian Ocean region

Chinese activities and influence in India's extended neighbourhood have grown increasingly with the sole purpose of keeping New Delhi constrained and occupied in facing the resultant challenges, according to papers submitted at a key security meet here. The papers presented by Indian Police Service officers at the just concluded conference of DGPs and IGPs submit that by providing huge amounts of money in the name of loans for developmental works in Southeast and South Asia, China wants to reduce India's influence in the Indian Ocean region and force resolution of bilateral issues on Beijing's terms. The three-day annual conference was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and about 350 top police officers of the country. China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), infrastructure related investments in India's neighbouring countries through easy loans, hot borders and Line of

Chinese missile, satellite tracking ship exits Indian Ocean Region

Chinese missile and satellite tracking ship 'Yuan Wang V' has exited the Indian Ocean after spending over a week in the region, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday. The Chinese spy ship, known to be fitted with various tracking and surveillance devices, entered the Indian Ocean around December 5 ahead of a plan by India for a likely test firing of a long-range ballistic missile in the Bay of Bengal, they said. The Indian Navy kept a close eye on the movement of the ship. The docking of the ship at Hambantota port in August had triggered a diplomatic row between India and Sri Lanka. Open source intelligence expert Damien Symon on Monday tweeted that "Yuan Wang 5, #China's missile and satellite tracking vessel has entered the #IndianOcean region." There was no official comment on either entry or exit of the ship from the Indian Ocean Region. The visit of the Chinese ship to the Indian Ocean comes amid increasing concerns over growing forays into the region by Chi

Chinese intrusions into Indian Ocean not uncommon, says Indian Navy

The Indian Navy on Wednesday said it keeps surveillance over the Indian Ocean Region where "the Chinese intrusions are not uncommon" and asserted that the force was committed to protect the country's interest in the strategic area. Southern Naval Command (SNC) chief, Vice Admiral M A Hampiholi, said the Indian Navy keeps surveillance in the region through satellites and maritime reconnaissance aircraft. His statement comes amid reports that a Chinese spy vessel has entered the Indian Ocean Region for the second time in the past few months. "The Chinese intrusions into the Indian Ocean region are not uncommon. They have been here for quite some time...I must assure you that we keep our areas of interest under surveillance throughout. We do that using a variety of means...," SNC chief told reporters here in response to a query on the news reports on the Chinese spy vessel reaching Sri Lankan port. He said the Navy also keeps surveillance through satellites, maritime reconnaissance ..

India hands $100 mn in assistance to Maldives to ease financial challenges

India on Tuesday handed over USD 100 million as assistance to the Maldives to ease the financial challenges faced by the strategically located archipelagic state in the Indian Ocean. A ceremony was held here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer were also present. "Our special partnership, marked by genuine concern for each other's welfare and interests, delivers every single time and particularly in time of need," tweeted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who joined the ceremony via a video link. "The Government of India handed over financial assistance of USD 100 million to the Government of Maldives to ease the financial challenges. India remains reliable and steadfast in extending assistance to the Maldives," the Foreign Ministry of the Maldives said in a tweet. Foreign Minister Shahid thanked India for the timely and generous financial assistance of USD 100 million. "It is truly the strength of our tie

Navy proposes operationalising Indian Ocean partnership initiative

The Indian Navy had already created a bouquet of initiatives and structures to manage the Indian Ocean