India-EU Maritime Cooperation: Defining contours for a partnership in the Indo-Pacific Region

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Abstract

The first India-EU Maritime Dialogue was held on January 20, 2021. It featured consultations on issues such as the maritime security environment and the enhancement of regional cooperation. The dialogue took place within the larger framework of India-EU Strategic Partnership, in accordance with its Roadmap to 2025. This development comes at a time when the Indo-Pacific as a regional construct is gaining prominence in world politics. The Indo-Pacific, a confluence of the Indian and Pacific oceans forming a single geopolitical construct, is the most populous region of the world – and one-third of the world’s trade in goods and energy crosses the region. The EU is a significant stakeholder in the area, as the majority of EU’s exports to Asia-Pacific markets traverse the Indo-Pacific waters. The stability and security of vital sea lanes of communication in the area remain crucial for the EU. Similarly, India, being a responsible resident actor in the region, aspires for a free and open Indo-Pacific and is alarmed by the territorial aggression from its neighbour China, as well as by the latter’s growing inroads and influence in New Delhi’s neighbourhood. Taking these factors into account, and focusing on a dynamic security environment engulfing the Indo-Pacific region, one may ask: ‘What objectives and goals should the Indo-EU Maritime Cooperation entail in the larger region?’ […]