By Anushka Rajvedi
In the eighth edition of the Indian Ocean Conference, Indian Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, stated the need for countries to come together to protect and strengthen the Indian Ocean region.
An Indian Ocean Conference, ‘Voyage to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership’, was held in Muscat, Oman on 16 February 2025, Sunday. At the inaugural ceremony, the External Affairs Minister of India, S. Jaishankar highlighted the urgency and the need of global protection and growth for the region of the Indian Ocean. In his speech, he mentioned that, “being the lifeline of countries all over the globe, the Indian Ocean region is the epicenter of the production, consumption, connection and contribution all around the world.”
Addressing the issue that is being faced by the region, he stated that, “due to the disruptions caused by the colonial rule, it is important for the nations to re-establish strong connection amongst one another.” He however, mentioned that the nations of the Indian Ocean are now facing issues such as ‘limited resources’ and ‘economic headwinds’.
Jaishankar also emphasized on the disruption caused to the region due to the conflicts erupting in the West of Asia and the Middle East. He stated that, “the war in the Middle East is at a serious turn and might hike and complicate the situation in near future.” He also focused on how the deep-rooted issues between the nations will cause disruption in the region. He stated that, “due to the conflicts, the issues that were deep-rooted in history have re-emerged. These issues have started affecting shipping at a global scale, which has deeply affected the economies of different countries.” He highlighted the fact that due to such circumstances, many nations are lagging behind in achieving their Sustainable Development Goals.
Jaishankar urged other countries to take efforts like India, who has started contributing in developing the security and growth of the Indian Ocean region, by strengthening ties with the global neighbors and helping the countries in the time of crisis.
In the conference, S. Jaishankar launched a logo celebrating the 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Oman.