Pivotal priorities: Rajnath Singh backs freedom of navigation in India-Sri Lanka maritime push

Rajnath Singh, who arrived in Colombo on Tuesday for a three-day visit, becoming the first Indian defence minister to visit Sri Lanka in 38 years, said that freedom of navigation and ensuring open trade routes are crucial for the growth and prosperity of the region.

In Short

• Singh met President Dissanayake and described the talks as extremely productive
• He said both countries remain civilisational twins, neighbours and maritime partners
• Sri Lankan and Indian ports were pitched as drivers of regional prosperity

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that secure sea lanes, freedom of navigation, respect for international law and unhindered maritime trade should remain pivotal priorities as they are crucial for the growth and prosperity of the Indian Ocean Region.

Singh made the remarks at a public event after he held an "extremely productive" meeting with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during which they reaffirmed that as civilisational twins, close neighbours and maritime partners, India and Sri Lanka would continue to work jointly to ensure the safety, security, peace and prosperity of the region.

Speaking on 'India-Sri Lanka Maritime Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region-Civilisational Partners with intertwined destinies' in Colombo, Singh said that Indian and Sri Lankan ports can become engines of shared economic growth, while their maritime industries can become the drivers for the future prosperity of the region.

"Together, India and Sri Lanka are well positioned to serve as the closest partners in safeguarding peace, security and stability across the Indian Ocean Region," he said.

Singh, who arrived in Colombo on Tuesday for a three-day visit, becoming the first Indian defence minister to visit Sri Lanka in 38 years, said that freedom of navigation and ensuring open trade routes are crucial for the growth and prosperity of the region.

"Therefore, secure sea lanes, freedom of navigation, respect for international law, unhindered maritime trade and commerce should remain our pivotal priorities," he said.

"It is essential that we work together towards shaping a favourable, secure maritime environment, remaining ready to address emerging maritime challenges in the first instance, before they become a serious threat to our developmental interests and the bright future of our region," he said.

Singh said that Sri Lanka occupies a salient strategic location in the Indian Ocean Region, overlooking a vast ocean characterised by crisscrossing busy trade routes. "These routes are not only the arteries for global trade, but also determine the trajectory of our growth and development as well as the safety and security of our region," he said.

Today, the Indian Ocean is not merely a waterway, but the stage on which the economic and strategic future of our region will be written, he said.

"For India and Sri Lanka, both maritime nations bound by this shared ocean, this is not a matter of abstract theory but of lived, everyday reality - one that shapes our trade, our security and our destinies alike," he said.

Sri Lanka, like India, is undoubtedly central to any strategic discourse on maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, the minister said.

"In Sri Lanka, India sees a friendly neighbour, a longstanding friend and a reliable partner. India-Sri Lanka Maritime Cooperation is thus not only mutually beneficial but quintessential to our collective safety and security," Singh said.

"In a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, the Indian Ocean has come to occupy a place of immense contemporary relevance. As emerging economies and fellow democracies, we have a shared future," he said.

Singh said India would be delighted to share its experience and work closely with Sri Lanka for the continued growth and prosperity of the region.

As the Indian Ocean is entering into a period of profound strategic and economic transformation, India and Sri Lanka must synergise their efforts and build upon our collective competencies to tackle the emerging challenges, the minister said.

"Our ports can become engines of shared economic growth, while our maritime industries can become the drivers for the future prosperity not only of our own people but our region as well. The future of India–Sri Lanka relations should therefore be based on a simple premise that proximity creates interdependence, which in turn creates immense opportunities for a shared evolution," he said.

Describing India as a true "Vishwa Mitra, or trusted global friend," he reiterated India's commitment to playing a constructive and dependable role in its shared neighbourhood.

On the fishermen issue, Singh said the two countries need to work together to address fisheries disputes in a mutually beneficial manner, keeping in view the relevant laws and geographic jurisdictions.

"We need to work together to strengthen our systems to avoid fisheries disputes, handle them with due care and concern as this is a livelihood issue, while at the same time ensure maritime law enforcement," he said.

"I foresee a future where our two countries move forward as joint stakeholders in developing a mutually beneficial and integrated maritime domain awareness system to provide comprehensive maritime information on a real-time basis. This would entail systematic cooperation and interaction amongst concerned agencies, navies and Coast Guards of the two countries with a view to addressing the challenges of illegal fishing, suspicious vessel tracking, narcotics trafficking, smuggling, terrorism and other security threats," he said.

India is always willing to join hands with Sri Lanka in areas like capacity building and exercises, Singh said, adding that India is also committed to assisting Sri Lanka in whichever way possible to further enhance such cooperation.

He said that going beyond the traditional template, the two countries need to build upon the existing complementarities and develop new paradigms for a closer and stronger maritime partnership. "This is the basis of MAHASAGAR, Prime Minister Modi's vision for the Indian Ocean Region. 'Mutual' and 'Holistic' are key words in this concept, underscoring the importance of synergy, cooperation and collaboration," he said.

He also suggested that the two countries can explore the establishment of a joint Maritime Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) system involving relevant agencies for a coordinated and rapid response to natural calamities and man-made disasters.

Singh was addressing a gathering comprising Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara, Commanders of the Sri Lankan Army, Navy & Air Force, and other senior officials.

- Ends