7th September 2024 (8 Topics)
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EU-India in the ‘Indo-Pacific’
Context
In a significant effort to bolster security and defence cooperation, the European Union (EU) recently organized a study visit for senior Indian officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Defence. The visit aimed to deepen ties between India and the EU, specifically focusing on Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Why is Indo-Pacific region so significant?
- India’s definition of the “Indo-Pacific” stretches from the Eastern coast of Africa to the islands of the South Pacific.
- Global trade and maritime security: Almost 60 percent of global GDP and two thirds of global growth are generated in the Indo-Pacific. As much as 25 percent of international maritime trade passes through the Strait of Malacca alone.
- Home to largest economies: The Indo-Pacific region is home to around 60 percent of the global population and 20 of the world’s 33 megacities.
- Key-player: It is also the source of more than half of all global carbon emissions. This makes the region’s countries key players in tackling global challenges such as the climate crisis.
India’s strategy for Indo-Pacific
- India has been active in championing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. India has been an active participant in mechanisms such as the
- Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
- East Asia Summit
- ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus
- ASEAN Regional Forum
- Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
- Mekong Ganga Economic Corridor
- Through the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), India is moving towards engaging with the Pacific Island countries.
- Recognising important groupings: India supports ASEAN centrality in the evolving Indo-Pacific regional architecture, but also works with groupings such as the Quad, IORA and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), among others.
- India’s trade in this region is growing rapidly, with overseas investments being directed towards the East, e.g., the
- Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with Japan, South Korea, and Singapore
- Free Trade Agreements with ASEAN and Thailand
- Evolving “Act East Policy” comprising economic engagement with Southeast Asia and strategic cooperation beyond that to East Asia (Japan, Republic of Korea), Australia, New Zealand, as well as the Pacific Island countries
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