Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 20: There is need to develop a comprehensive geostrategic policy to renew Indian trade and cultural relations with the countries of the Indian Ocean region (IOR), Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said at the inaugural function of the international maritime conference here Friday.
“We have the opportunity to reclaim our trade and cultural relations with nations in the Indian Ocean Region,” he said at the three-day conference “India and the Indian Ocean: Renewing Maritime Trade & Civilisational Linkages” being jointly organised by the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies (ISCS) and Research and Information System for Developing Countries.
“Therefore, we must develop a comprehensive geostrategic policy that promotes mutually beneficial engagements on an umbrella of issues relating to trade, culture, security and environment. As we are culturally closer to these nations, we can do business with these countries with relative case and address one another’s concerns,” Patnaik said.
Orissa has consistently had a better growth rate than national average in the last decade, Patnaik pointed out and said that Orissa can play a very significant role in the new paradigm.
“Our robust mining and steel sector can contribute significantly in supporting development in Indian Ocean countries. We are setting up a number of ports along the 480 km long coast. Apart from Paradip, the newly built Dhamara Port is growing as an important trading centre. I believe we can once again be the maritime gateway of India,” he said.
The Indian Ocean region hosts over 40 states and nearly 40 per cent of the world population and thus these areas have been the focus of Indian foreign policy Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said while delivering the inaugural address.
“Maritime security is an important dimension of India’s bilateral relations with Indian Ocean littoral states. Through various formal and informal structures currently in place we look forward to building closer cooperation in the maritime domain, regularizing bilateral maritime exercises and strengthening dialogues between the natives and coast guards with all littoral countries in the region,” Swaraj said.
India is committed to maritime security, freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, she said.
IOR witnessed significant growth in goods and services trade but the full potential of intra-regional trade remains untapped because of poor communication and transport linkage, lack of information about supply capabilities, she said.
Those who were present at the conference included Union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan, RN Ravi from the PMO, ISCS secretary Arindam Mukherjee, RIS director general Sachin Chaturvedi, chief postmaster general of Orissa Tilak De and Sumith Nakandala from Bangladesh.
