India Hosts Sixth East Asia Summit on Maritime Security in Mumbai
The Ministry of External Affairs of India, in partnership with the Australian and Indonesian governments, organized the sixth East Asia Summit (EAS) conference on Maritime Security Cooperation on July 4-5 in Mumbai. This event is part of India’s commitment to strengthening the ASEAN-led EAS mechanism and supporting the implementation of the EAS Plan of Action 2024-2028.
The ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) at Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) collaborated as knowledge partners for the conference.
Keynote Address
Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs, delivered the keynote address. He highlighted the importance of dialogue and cooperation for promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly through maritime security cooperation.
Participants and Discussions
Over sixty participants, including government officials and experts from think tanks and academia from EAS Participating Countries, attended the conference. They discussed a wide range of issues related to securing the maritime environment in line with the open, inclusive, transparent, and outward-looking character of the EAS.
Thematic Sessions
The conference featured six thematic sessions:
- Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)
- Regional Maritime Domain Awareness
- Combating illicit maritime activity, anti-piracy, and IUU fishing
- Maritime Connectivity
- Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
- Search and Rescue (SAR)
