Doubling down on India’s stand that sea lanes must not be turned into war zones and proposal to end conflict on Black Sea, PM Narendra Modi said oceans don’t separate countries but these connect them while calling for a free, open, secure and rules-based maritime order.In a message that was read out at Great Oceans Dialogue in Delhi, PM said, “The oceans do not separate us, they connect us, because what happens in one part of the world can have an impact far beyond its shores…Our vision is a free, open, secure and rule-based maritime that brings greater peace, prosperity and progress for all.” Modi said India’s maritime vision extends across regions and oceans, and is built on “cooperation, trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit”.His remarks come amid efforts to push a maritime understanding between Russia and Ukraine to keep the Black Sea open for commercial shipping and prevent attacks on vessels and critical maritime infrastructure. India’s three-part ceasefire plan seeks to halt attacks on energy facilities and other critical infrastructure; continuous and unhindered movement of grain, crude oil, LNG and LPG through Black Sea ports; and a complete stop to attacks on commercial vessels, merchant ships, and maritime operations to safeguard seafarers and global supply chains.The emphasis on maritime freedom assumes significance as attacks and disruptions in the Black Sea have affected commercial shipping, ports and movement of agricultural commodities during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.Participating in a panel discussion, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said that they don’t make any distinction between national security and national economic security. Swaminathan added that maritime security affects all nations as he stressed on the need for partnerships.
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The officer said that the vastness of oceans made cooperation, collaboration and resource-sharing is essential.He added all nations should maintain maritime domain awareness and share broad assessments of threats. Invoking PM’s SAGAR and MAHASAGAR formulations, Swaminathan said maritime threats are increasingly transregional because oceans are contiguous. Cooperation, therefore, must extend beyond individual regions, with regions working together for collective security and growth.