On 8 and 9 Nov 2021, Chief of Navy RADM Aaron Beng joined heads of navies and representatives from 11 other countries across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) at the Goa Maritime Conclave. The 3rd edition of the biennial conclave facilitated discussions on topics concerning contemporary maritime safety and security challenges in the IOR, and ways in which navies could enhance collaboration to mitigate them.
In his speech, RADM Beng highlighted, "(The Indian Ocean Region) has been, and will continue to be, a major engine of growth for countries in the region. It is therefore important that we continue to work together on our common maritime priorities. We must buttress international norms and rules through our actions, and be forthcoming in our partnership on maritime security issues."
RADM Beng also shared that he was heartened that navies continued to engage each other through bilateral dialogues and passage exercises despite the ongoing pandemic. He added that such efforts needed to be kept up to ensure a strong base of interoperability between navies so that we can uphold a maritime rules-based order and tackle maritime security threats.
Photos extracted from the Ministry of External Affairs India, the Indian Navy, and also courtesy of COL Raymond Ong.
