Bangladesh, India and 17 other members on the Indian Ocean rim have raised pitch for maintaining freedom of navigation and stressed on safety and security of the sea-lanes.
The call came even as they opened up to hold dialogue with the United States on maritime issues in the region despite resistance from among themselves.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation on Friday emphasised cooperation on maritime security issues and reaffirmed importance “of maintaining freedom of navigation and safety and security of Sea Lanes of Communication”.
“The geo-strategic importance of the Indian Ocean cannot be underestimated. Its stability and well-being are critical for global economic prosperity, and even more so for the countries on its Rim,” read the communiqué issued after the 12th meeting of the IOR-ARC Council of Ministers in Gurgaon near New Delhi on Friday.
The conclave saw the IOR-ARC admitting United States as its sixth dialogue partner, despite resistance from Iran. The 15-year-old bloc already had five dialogue partners – China, Japan, France, United Kingdom and Egypt.
News Source: bdnews24.com
