New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): India and the European Union (EU) held the 4th India-EU Maritime Security Dialogue on March 21 in Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The Indian delegation was led by Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs, and the EU delegation by Maciej Stadejek, Director for Security and Defence Policy, European External Action Service, as per the MEA statement.

The two sides conferred on ways to sustain a secure maritime environment conducive to inclusive growth and global well-being. They reviewed ongoing cooperation initiatives in the maritime domain and avenues of reinforcing international and regional mechanisms for comprehensive maritime security. They agreed to strengthen their shared efforts in areas such as countering Illicit Maritime Activities (IMA), protection of critical maritime infrastructure, regional capability development and capacity-building activities, as per the statement.

It was agreed to hold the next round of the Dialogue on a mutually convenient date.

Earlier, the 3rd India-EU Maritime Security Dialogue was held on October 5, 2023 in Brussels.

The Indian delegation was led by Saiawi, Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and the EU delegation by Ambassador Joanneke Balfoort, Director for Security and Defence Policy, European External Action Service, as per the MEA.

The two sides conferred on ways to sustain a secure maritime environment conducive to inclusive growth and global well-being. They reviewed ongoing cooperation initiatives in the maritime domain and avenues of reinforcing international and regional mechanisms for comprehensive maritime security. They explored avenues to strengthen their shared efforts in areas such as countering illicit maritime activities (IMA), maritime law enforcement and capability building. They also discussed cooperation in ethe nhancement of maritime domain awareness (MDA) and looked forward to a forthcoming India-EU maritime engagement.

It was agreed to hold the next round of the Dialogue on a mutually convenient date. (ANI)