Why the MILAN matters to Southeast Asian countries
economictimes.indiatimes.comMILAN is an India-hosted biennial multi-national naval exercise that originated in 1995. The exercise aims to enhance cooperation and interoperability among the navies of diverse participating countries.
What often gains significant attention is how MILAN has become an avenue for India to demonstrate its diplomatic leadership by spearheading naval cooperation among countries that consider one another as strategic competitors, such as the United States, Israel, and Western European countries on the one hand, and Russia and Iran on the other.
However, along with the involvement of major powers of varied political spectrums, the MILAN is also an essential avenue for Southeast Asian countries to expand their naval engagements beyond their traditional geographical neighborhood.
While Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand have been participating since 1995, the scope of invited countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has gradually expanded with the participation of Malaysia in 1997, Myanmar in 2003, and Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam in 2012. The 2024 iteration of the MILAN will witness the maximum participation of over 50 countries, including all eight ASEAN countries.
What makes this year’s MILAN even more significant for Southeast Asian countries is the geopolitical backdrop against which it is held. Today, the security dynamics between the Indian and Pacific Oceans are becoming increasingly interdependent due to the deepening and broadening of traditional and non-traditional security threats.
Southeast Asian countries depend highly on the security of vital sea lines of communication (SLOCs) in the Indian Ocean for their energy and trade interests. Consequently, the ongoing strikes
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