Bangladesh against conflict in Indian Ocean

The foreign minister has called upon the countries to follow the “path of cooperation and collaboration, not competition and conflict” to tap the full potentials of the Indian Ocean.

“Indian Ocean has remained at the centre of interest to the major players of the world because of its strategic location and natural resources,” AH Mahmood Ali said on Friday, speaking at a conference on the Indian Ocean in Singapore.

India Foundation, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Institute of Policy Studies Sri Lanka and S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore, organised the conference, the foreign ministry said.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan inaugurated the conference which brought together ministers, senior civil and military bureaucrats, diplomats, academicians, researchers and civil societies of the countries along the Indian Ocean.

The Indian Ocean region has emerged as the most prominent global economic highway with 66 percent of the world’s oil shipments, 33 percent of its bulk cargo and 50 percent of the world’s container traffic passing through its waters.

The oil arteries of the world flow through the Indian Ocean, the foreign minister said.

“It is not only trade and economy, competition among some of the major powers in securing visible and credible presence in the Indian Ocean has shaped the dynamics of the Indian Ocean region,” he said.

“We see growing interests among countries in the region to develop new infrastructures in the Indian Ocean. Countries also seek to build, expand and strengthen their naval infrastructures in the Indian Ocean.

“Overlapping territorial claims and disputes have added new dimension to this evolving security scenario,” he said.

Ali noted that countries in Asia and the Pacific are four times more likely to be affected by a natural catastrophe than those in Africa, and 25 times more vulnerable than Europe and North America.

The climate change impacts and resultant sea level rise have further enhanced the risks and vulnerabilities of the Indian Ocean countries.

A variety of security threats is posing danger to maritime peace and stability. Piracy continues to remain as one of the most worrisome maritime security challenges to date, the foreign minister observed.

Maritime terrorism has also surfaced as an omnipresent global and regional threat. Human trafficking and drug smuggling are the twin issues that have lately re-captured global attention.

“It, however, requires strong commitment from all the nations of the Indian Ocean region and beyond towards achieving this shared objective,” he said.

“We must follow the path of cooperation and collaboration, not competition and conflict in tapping the full potentials of the Indian Ocean.”

Former president of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom delivered the keynote address at the session.

The session proposed to organise a summit level conference, engaging governments, academicians, civil society and private sectors to find out a “common approach” for cooperation to respond the challenges.

The foreign minister said the maritime disputes including the overlapping territorial claims need to be resolved through “peaceful” means.

He referred to Bangladesh’s steps in settling the maritime problems with the neighbours -- India and Myanmar.

Ali meets Singapore minister, Indian state minister

According to the foreign ministry, Mahmood Ali also held meeting with his Singapore counterpart Balakrishnan on the sidelines and discussed issues of mutual interests and cooperation.

Indian State Minister for External Affairs MJ Akbar also called on him.

Balakrishnan appreciated the “prompt and bold” actions taken by the Bangladesh government in tracking and eliminating the terrorists including the masterminds.

Mahmood Ali briefed him on security, political and social measures adopted in combating terrorism and violent extremism in Bangladesh.

During the meeting with MJ Akbar, both sides expressed satisfaction over the current pace of progress of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening and expanding the relations.

Akbar renewed India’s support to Bangladesh in fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

He conveyed that the prime minister of India is certain in two aspects, as far as Bangladesh is concerned -- Bangladesh has the absolute liberty to decide its own course of actions as an independent nation, and India attaches high importance to building equal partnership for development with Bangladesh.

And this was particularly for the advancement of the marginalised and disadvantaged people, Akbar said.