States » NorthPosted at: Sep 30 2026 4:53PM


Indo-Pacific groupings must complement, not compete; experts push deeper maritime cooperation

Panchkula, Sep 30 (UNI) Regional frameworks in the Indo-Pacific should complement rather than compete with each other, with stronger cooperation needed in maritime security, connectivity, trade, the blue economy, climate resilience and sustainable development, diplomats and international experts said at a two-day international conference organised by Kurukshetra University at Kurukshetra.
The fourth international conference, organised by the university's International Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies (ICIPS), examined ways to strengthen regional cooperation and effectively implement the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) amid geopolitical shifts and growing economic, security and environmental challenges in the maritime domain.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Secretary-General Sanjiv Ranjan said different cooperative frameworks in the Indo-Pacific were not competitors but complementary mechanisms that needed to be connected to generate practical cooperation.
Ranjan, who has served as IORA Secretary-General since January 2025, linked the future of the Indo-Pacific to cooperation, inclusivity and a rules-based order. Speaking at Kurukshetra, he also invoked the Bhagavad Gita's message of Karma Yoga. IORA's official records confirm Ranjan's tenure as Secretary-General.
BIMSTEC Secretary-General Indra Mani Pandey said the seven priorities of India's IPOI were broadly aligned with BIMSTEC's existing agenda, providing scope for stronger cooperation between the two regional initiatives.
He highlighted the strategic importance of the Bay of Bengal and stressed connectivity, trade, security, and sustainable development as key areas for cooperation.
Ambassador Dr Anil Sooklal said the Indian Ocean region was assuming greater significance amid changing global circumstances and called for IORA to reassess its role, priorities and functioning. Stronger political will and regular dialogue at the level of top leadership would be important, he said.
Ambassador Sanjay Panda said unprecedented global uncertainty and geopolitical changes required academic institutions, researchers and think tanks to work together to find new and practical solutions.
Kurukshetra University Vice-Chancellor Prof Som Nath Sachdeva said the future of the Indo-Pacific lay in building a secure, stable, sustainable, prosperous and rules-based order.
Invoking the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Sachdeva highlighted the seven priorities of the IPOI and stressed innovation, openness, resilience and adaptability. He also referred to India's Samudrayaan Mission and Matsya-6000 project while underlining the growing importance of ocean research.
Former IORA Secretary-General Dr Nomvuyo N. Nokwe called for stronger inter-regional cooperation between the Indian Ocean and ASEAN regions.
Dr Kilaparti Ramakrishna, senior adviser at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the United States, stressed the need to bring together science, institutional cooperation, technology, finance and effective implementation.
Experts also called for greater India-Indonesia cooperation in maritime science, research, academic exchanges and the blue economy.
On the second day, Prof Charles Colgan, Research Director at the Center for the Blue Economy in the United States, said the blue economy had been under discussion for nearly 15 years and related activities were underway in almost all countries of the Indian Ocean region.
Prof John Virdin, Director of the Ocean Policy Program at Duke University, highlighted the combined impact of expanding marine industrial activities and climate change.
Dr Christine M. Grimsrud, senior researcher at Statistics Norway, discussed Norway's pilot project on marine ecosystem accounting, while Prof Anne-Françoise Zattara of the University of La Réunion, France, spoke on changing concepts in maritime law and the use of marine resources.
Prof S K Mohanty of Nalanda University described the blue economy as a multidisciplinary concept, saying its development needed to be understood by bringing together environment, biodiversity, science and economics.
The conference also examined water stress, marine governance, international maritime law, ecosystem accounting and the impact of climate change on water resources and human health.
In the concluding session, Prof Ronán Long discussed the BBNJ Agreement and advisory opinions of international judicial institutions concerning climate change, while Prof Imadul Islam, senior research fellow at OPRI-SPF, Japan, highlighted the role of international cooperation and research in the maritime sector.
Prof Neera Verma, former Dean of Academic Affairs at Gurugram University, underlined the strategic importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the heart of the Indo-Pacific.
Kurukshetra University Registrar Prof Virender Pal said the fact that a university located in the heart of Haryana was hosting an international conference on oceans, maritime security and the Indo-Pacific demonstrated that “geographical distance does not mean intellectual distance.”
He called for moving from dialogue to cooperation, cooperation to implementation, security to comprehensive human security and economic development to sustainable prosperity, while strengthening knowledge networks.
ICIPS Director and conference director Prof V N Attri said the deliberations covered regional cooperation, maritime security, sustainable development, the blue economy, maritime governance, climate change and effective implementation of the IPOI.
UNI KK RSA
Tags: #Indo-Pacific groupings must complement# not compete; experts push deeper maritime cooperation
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