Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative:
The Prime Minister recently welcomed New Zealand’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative, highlighting both nations’ shared interest in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
- IPOI was launched by India in November 2019 at the ASEAN-led East Asia Summit (EAS) in Bangkok.
- It builds upon the “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (SAGAR) initiative announced by the Prime Minister in 2015.
- Its objective was to promote cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific and the rules-based regional order, which will contribute towards strengthening safety, stability and development in the maritime domain.
- As a non-treaty-based voluntary arrangement, it aims to achieve greater cohesion and integration through common understanding and actions related to shared interests.
- It does not envisage a new institutional framework and leans heavily on the EAS mechanism, which includes ASEAN member states and its eight dialogue partners.
- The IPOI outlined seven pillars, and it was indicated that one or two countries could take the lead for a pillar with others joining in voluntarily.
- The seven IPOI pillars are:
- Maritime Security: The United Kingdom (UK) and India
- Maritime Ecology: Australia and Thailand
- Maritime Resources: France and Indonesia
- Capacity Building and Resource Sharing: Germany
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Management: India and Bangladesh
- Science, Technology, and Academic Cooperation: Italy and Singapore
- Trade, Connectivity, and Maritime Transport: Japan and the United States (US).
