India-EU naval exercise to set stage for greater cooperation

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 21

The joint naval exercise between warships of the European Union (EU) and India conducted in the Gulf of Aden on June 18 and 19 will be the precursor of strengthened operational cooperation at sea, said a statement by the EU.

One frigate from the Indian Navy and three from EU’s Somalia anti-piracy force under Operation Atalanta played out the scenario of an anti-piracy operation that included cross-deck helicopter landings, live firing, a night-time joint patrol and a “naval parade’’ in the high seas off the coast of Somalia.

The EU intends involving India in its CRIMARIO II (Critical Maritime Routes in the Indian Ocean) initiative to secure sea lines of communication vital for international trade and prosperity. While CRIMARIO I (2015 – 2019), was for the Western Indian Ocean region, CRIMARIO II will expand its geographical scope to South and Southeast Asia.

However, India will not play a prominent role in the EU’s attempt to strengthen its strategic trade position in the Indo-Pacific, given recent regional pacts such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). India does not figure among the priority countries named by the EU which are Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

The EU statement noted that the current dynamics in the Indo-Pacific have given rise to intense geopolitical competition that have increased tensions on trade and supply chains as well as in political and security areas.

The Strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific announced in April has renewed the EU’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific which, like India, describes it as the region from the east coast of Africa to the Pacific island states. This will include partnerships in security and defence, malicious cyber activities, terrorism, and organised crime.

The EU statement noted that both sides are committed to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. This convergence led to the first EU-India dialogue on maritime security earlier this year. The Indian Navy has also been providing escort to World Food Programme chartered vessels, coordinated by EU’s Operation Atalanta.