With an ever increasing battery of threats and uncertainties, the Indian Ocean Region will face an increasingly complicated, rapidly evolving, and more demanding security situation, requiring the navies, the coast guards and the maritime security agencies of this region to do more together, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Monday.

“India stands ready and willing to do its share – and more – in tackling these problems. We cannot anticipate each and every problem that will arise. We can, however, work on strengthening the structures, the understandings, the procedures, and the resources that are deployed. This will enable us to better manage known problems. It will also enable us to create a “surge” capacity to deal with the unknown,” he said at the Goa Maritime Conclave on ‘Maritime Security and Emerging Non-Traditional Threats: A Case for Proactive Role for IOR Navies’

He noted that the blue economy potential of the region has, while creating opportunity and prosperity, generated vulnerabilities. Irresponsible fishing was damaging the region’s food security. “More commerce means more accidents. It means more pollution such as those caused by oil spills.”