INDIA-INDONESIA MOU FOR STRATEGIC SEA AFFAIRS
At a time when the South China Sea scenario is heating up because of China claiming a large number of islands here, India and Indonesia have signed an important
MOU to patrol the strategic Indian Ocean link between them. As coronavirus has made a large number of people jobless, smuggling of arms and narcotics is likely to increase in these sea lanes. Bakamla RI (Indonesian Coast Guard) and the Indian Coast Guard
(ICG) have signed a significant MOU on “Maritime
Safety and Security”. Vice Admiral Aan Kurnia, head of Bakamla RI and his counterpart K. Natarajan, Director General, ICG, signed the MOU through web connectivity between their respective headquarters at Jakarta and
New Delhi. Pradeep Kumar Rawat, India’s Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-leste graced the occasion at Jakarta. A token ceremonial handing over of the MOU to the respective Defence Attachés was undertaken— Captain Amitabh Saxena at Jakarta and Captain Asdi
Yasin at New Delhi.
India and Indonesia are historically connected through the Indian Ocean and it has been the resolve of both to ensure safe and secure sea passage for all seafarers in the region. This is enshrined in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sagar—security And Growth for All in the Region. Relations between the two countries were elevated to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” in May 2018 during Modi’s visit to Indonesia. The focus on maritime security was re-iterated with the shared vision of Indiaindonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-pacific. The MOU between the two Coast Guards was also conceived at this stage.
Talking to The Sunday Guardian, Debashish Biswas, Second Secretary, Indian Embassy in Jakarta, said, as maritime neighbours believe in rules-based order and upholding the tenets of the 1982 UNCLOS, this MOU will augment information exchange mechanisms. This real time Maritime Domain Awareness will be the foundation for controlling and responding to incidents of piracy, smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal migration and other such maritime crimes and will help in protection of our precious marine environment.