Countries should build trust on maritime front through dialogue: Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh on Monday stressed the need to build trust among countries on the maritime front through dialogue and said common maritime priorities of tackling climate change, controlling piracy, terrorism and drug trafficking should be addressed in cooperation. Singh was addressing the Indian Navy's Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC) 2023, which began on Sunday. The conclave will conclude on October 31.
The theme of the GMC is «Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean Region: Converting Common Maritime Priorities into Collaborative Mitigating Frameworks».
«How do we build trust? We build trust through dialogues such as the GMC, joint exercises, industrial collaboration, sharing of resources, respecting international law etc,» Singh said, adding that the trust amongst cooperating countries will lead to optimal outcomes in common maritime priorities.
«Since our countries interact with each other on a multitude of issues.
It is possible to build trust by discussion and consultation with each other,» the defence minister said.
Quoting the Sanskrit adage 'Sanghe Shakti Kaliyuge', Singh said in the present era, strength lies in collaboration and cooperation, and cooperative equilibrium can also be achieved in international relations.
«In our context, common maritime priorities such as tackling climate change, controlling piracy, terrorism, drug trafficking and overfishing at the high seas need to be addressed by all of us cooperatively.
