Maritime threats on def min agenda

Panaji: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will arrive at naval air station INS Hansa on Tuesday evening for the Goa Maritime Conclave 2017 where she is expected to throw light on her ministry's plans to counter maritime threats in the Indian Ocean region (IOR) and the role that the Indian Navy is expected to play to ensure that the region remained safe for maritime trade.

The conclave, which is being organised by the Naval War College (NWC) at INS Mandovi, will see naval chiefs of 10 friendly nations participating and deliberating over emerging maritime threats.

"The defence minister will arrive on Tuesday evening and she will be hosted by INS Hansa. The next morning, she will speak at the inaugural function at the war college and she will then return to Delhi," a naval official said.

The conclave is aimed at fostering bilateral relations with India's maritime neighbors, while also focusing on establishing academic exchange and finding collective solutions to "maritime issues of interest" in the IOR.

Besides senior naval officials from India, the other nations participating are Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

While the main venue for the conclave is INS Mandovi at Verem, programmes are also planned at the Aguada Fort and the Reis Magos Fort, sources said.