Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat.

Race for strategic places, bases in Indian Ocean region: CDS Gen Bipin Rawat

The presence of greater than 120 international warships within the Indian Ocean and a race for strategic bases that may acquire momentum in future displays the rising international curiosity within the area, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, stated on Friday.

Rawat’s remarks, made at a digital convention, got here in opposition to the backdrop of key European powers similar to Germany and France unveiling methods for the Indo-Pacific and China’s assertive actions throughout the area which have triggered issues all over the world.

India, he stated, must construct on current bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, together with extra coaching engagements with accomplice nations, to deal with such challenges whereas retaining strategic autonomy in decision-making. The nation must obtain its aspiration of turning into a significant international energy whereas dwelling in a “tough neighbourhood” and an “increasingly contested” area, he added.

Delivering the keynote deal with on the Global Dialogue Security Forum, Rawat stated, “At present, there are over 120 warships of extra-regional forces deployed in the Indian Ocean region in support of various missions. Till now the region, by and large, has remained peaceful albeit under contestation.”

He added, “Of late, along with geo-strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, we are also witnessing a race for strategic places and bases in the Indian Ocean region, which is only going to gain momentum in times to come.”

Based on the challenges India faces as a rising regional energy, the nation requires structured long-term planning for capability constructing and functionality improvement of its defence forces, Rawat informed the inaugural session of the occasion with the theme “Contesting the Indo-Pacific for global domination”.

“In our quest to build a stronger India, we need a peaceful and stable security environment. We need to maintain strategic autonomy and cooperative relations with extra-regional powers, underscored by strong regional linkages that would provide us with a greater degree of strategic leverage,” he added.

Many international locations within the area are searching for to achieve financial dividends from enhanced connectivity and infrastructure tasks and powers inside and outdoors the Indian Ocean area are investing in infrastructure improvement to “maintain and increase geo-political influence”, Rawat stated.

“In recent years, China’s economic and political rise, coupled with competition to increase influence in the region, has attracted a great deal of interest,” he identified in opposition to the backdrop of the India-China border standoff.

Governance and safety too are underneath risk of being undermined by non-state actors and there’s rising naval competitors amongst states, he stated, including, “To protect peace, prosperity and sovereignty, it is important for us to keep sea lines of communication secure at all times with a strong hold on the security dimension of this region.”

Rawat referred to as for constructing on current mechanisms similar to JAI (Japan-Australia-India) and Asean-India to have the “right balance in our strategic autonomy”, and stated, “The economic centre of gravity is shifting and will continue to shift in this century, and with the major global supply chains passing through our region, the Indo-Pacific in general and the Indian Ocean region in particular will remain vital for transit and world trade.”

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