Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said there is a paramount need for forging greater cooperation between the navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said there is a paramount need for forging greater cooperation between the navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean for preventing transnational crimes and maintaining the biological diversity of the seabed in the region.
Inaugurating the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium here, Dr Singh also said a significant share of international trade passes through the sea-lanes of the Indian Ocean region, but regrettably it also accounts for 70 per cent of the world's natural disasters.
''Recent years have seen a rise in crimes such as terrorism, smuggling, including narcotics, arms and weapons, piracy, and robbery. These activities not only pose a threat to our growing naval commerce but also affect innocent fishermen and tourists. In addition, there is the abominable practice of trafficking in human beings,'' he said.
Observing that the perpetrators of these crimes are, ''well-organised and well-funded transnational crime syndicates who take full advantage of the vastness of the oceans'', he said the need for cooperation among the navies of the region in preventing such international crimes ''is therefore of paramount importance.''
The symposium is being attended by Chiefs of Navies and Heads of Maritime Security Organisations representing the littoral states of the Indian Ocean.
He said the Indian Ocean, spanning 28 million square km, is host to a third of the world's population and the littoral states of the region account for 25 per cent of the global landmass and 40 per cent of the world's energy sources.
''They have a rich heritage and share close socio-cultural ties. Above all, they are linked by a history of sea faring. These are all reasons why we must pool our knowledge and resources and act for the common good of all our people,'' he added.
Dr Singh said Indian Ocean littoral states had witnessed rapid economic growth in recent years, which were translating into increased intra-regional and global trade, a significant portion of which was sea-borne.
Pointing out that the sea-lanes of the region had emerged as one of the most important lines of communication in the world, he said container handling at the ports of Colombo, Mumbai, Chittagong, Bangkok and Malaysia's Port Klang had registered double-digit growth rates.
''A growing percentage of the world's large merchant ships and bulk carrier ships fly an Asian flag. This expansion in trade and economic growth dictates the need to ensure the safety and security of the sea-lanes,'' he said.
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