{"id":108506,"date":"2020-11-10T17:11:41","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T00:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=108506"},"modified":"2020-11-10T17:11:41","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T00:11:41","slug":"pathfinder-indian-ocean-security-conference-speeches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/11\/10\/pathfinder-indian-ocean-security-conference-speeches\/","title":{"rendered":"Pathfinder Indian Ocean Security Conference speeches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Press Release\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The Pathfinder Indian\nOcean Security Conference<\/strong>\nas a webinar Inaugural Session held on 10th<\/sup>, November 2020 and it\nwill continue next two days as the three sessions. The first, on Maritime\nSecurity and Freedom of Navigation<\/em>, will be moderated by Prof. Raja C.\nMohan, Director-Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of\nSingapore; whilst the second session on Enhancing Connectivity will be\nmoderated by Dr. Frederic Grare, Senior Associate and Director South Asia\nprogramme, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the third session to be moderated by Amb. Robert O. Blake Jr.,\nformer Ambassador of the United States to Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia and\nAssistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. The three\nsessions will include presentations by speakers from India, Russia, the US,\nSingapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia, China and Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirty-six littorals and IORA Dialogue Partner countries were\nparticipated to the conference, focusing on Maritime Security and Maritime\nGovernance in the Indian Ocean with over one hundred online participants including\ngovernments, diplomatic missions, academia, think-tanks and research institutes\nand the business community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inaugural session of the event includes an address by Foreign\nSecretary, Admiral (Prof.) Jayanath Colombage, Ambassador of the United States.\nH.E. Alaina Teplitz; Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Akira Sugiyama; and Co-chairs of\nthe conference, Amb. Shivshankar Menon, who was the former Foreign Secretary\nand National Security Advisor to the Government of India and Bernard\nGoonetilleke, Chairman-Pathfinder Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign Secretary, Admiral (Prof.) Jayanath Colombage<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PATHFINDER INDIAN OCEAN SECURITY CONFERENCE(PFIOSC)  2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10th November 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key\nnote speech by Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, Secretary, Foreign Ministry\nand Director General Institute of National Security Studies (Sri Lanka)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indian Ocean <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Sea has always been\ninstrumental in defining the destiny of the world by bringing people closer,\nmelting down cultures and supporting the global economy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Seaborne trade has been\nan engine for inclusive and sustainable growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Maritime connectivity is\nthe key to substantive economic development for many nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Covering a massive water\nbody of app. 70 million sq. km. and a vast geographical area stretching from\nthe eastern shores of Africa to Australia, the Indian Ocean region is home for\napp. 2.7 billion people resident in the littoral countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Asia\u2019s growing economic\nand political importance is undeniable<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           With the rise of Asia,\nthe political and economic balance is increasingly shifting towards the Indo\nPacific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           The region is becoming\nthe key to shaping the international order in the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Latest initiative for\nthis region- Policy guide lines for the Indo-Pacific- shaping the 21st century\ntogether- <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosperity of our society depends on freedom of shipping\u201d. Hence need to\nparticipate in functioning growth markets<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Global value chains are intertwined\nhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Indian Ocean has been a\nwell-connected ocean for trade, culture religion to move across<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           This is part of a Global\nMaritime Common- All should be free to be here<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Half of the world\u2019s\ncontainer ships, one third of the World\u2019s bulk cargo traffic and 72% of global\noil shipments depend on this water body for transit purposes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Security of shipping\nwill remain a primary concern during times of peace as well as conflict. We\nvery well know what happened during Somali Piracy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           After an interval of\nnearly three decades, there are signs of IOR once again entering into another\nphase of big power rivalry with potential for military confrontation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           The Question is should\nthe littoral countries get dragged into a superpower confrontation that is not\nof their making or in their interest?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Shouldn\u2019t we be focusing\nof economic and social development? And achieving the SDGs by the target year\nof 2030<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           ADB report has estimated\nthat infrastructure needs of Asia and the Pacific would exceed $ 22.6 trillion\nthrough 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Where can this money\ncome from? Donors? Bilateral and multilateral lenders? FDI?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Covid-19 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          Old certainties are\nquestioned<\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          A dangerous Recession?\nslowing down economies <\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          Socio-economic tensions\nand Human emotions rising high and creates a fear and insecurity <\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          Extreme forms of\nnationalism <\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          There is and there will\nbe interruptions to Global Supply Chains<\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          Multilateral Health\ngovernance may be the way forward. Health diplomacy is at it\u2019s best<\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          Attention to Food and\nMedicine security<\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          Countries choosing to\ninvest more on Hospitals and Laboratories?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geo-Political, Geo- Economical and Geo- Strategic landscape<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Indian Ocean has become\nsignificant in the 21st Century<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Two very significant\ninitiatives are here<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Indo Pacific Strategy-\nFree and Open Ocean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Belt and Road Initiative-\nmaritime trade and infrastructure related development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Sri Lanka wishes for a\nfree and open Indian ocean for maritime commerce, development of maritime\nrelated infrastructure and connect to the Global supply chain across the ocean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Present day Indian Ocean\nhas become a stage for strategic competition for regional and global powers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Competition is for RMB-\nResources, Markets and Bases(places)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         More and more governments,\norganisations and institutions worldwide are making the Indo-Pacific their\nconceptual frame of reference and thus the basis of their policies <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         However, they differ, in\nterms of their objectives, emphasis on different policy fields<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Today, the Quad (India,\nJapan, US, and Australia) is being institutionalised with a special focus on\nupholding the rules-based order for a free and open Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Quad\u2019s resolve to dominate\nIndo-Pacific high seas is being questioned <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Is Quad the principle\ndriver of Indian Ocean security?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         No one country can be the\nnet-security provider in the IO as clearly evidenced by the Piracy if the Gulf\nof Eden and Western Indian Ocean <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Is there a Maritime \u2018Cold\nWar\u2019 or \u2018Cool War\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Insecurity of one country\nlead to insecurity of others<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         IO Region is characterised\nby rapidly increasing arms dynamics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Identifying and Addressing\nMajor Issues Including \u2018mistrust\u2019 and \u2018trust deficiency\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Asia in the Indian Ocean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           South Asia is a complex\nsecurity construct<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           South Asia is\nmilitarily, politically and economically a dynamic region<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Region lack a common\nsecurity consensus- lack of interdependence and strategic ambiguity is\nprevalent <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           This is a nuclearized\nregion with two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan who are enemies for the last\n72 years<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Region borders another\nnuclear power- China<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           We witness regional and\nnational security interplay in this region<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Impact of geographic\nproximity on security interactions is strongest and most obvious<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           For countries such as\nSri Lanka, which is an adjacent state to nuclear India -this is a trilemma- 3rd\nparty effects-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Security of an innocent\nstate can be impacted in someone else\u2019s war<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           India\u2019s geographical\ncentrality, size, population and economy are key factors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Free and open Indian\nocean for what? We need it for trade, investment, development, cooperation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Centrality in the Ocean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Close proximity to major\nSLOCs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Close geographical\nproximity to India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Amidst the spheres of\ninfluence of India, USA, China, Japan and Australia, EU, UK<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Survival of the state is\nmost important for Sri Lanka <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         We are a small state and\ndo not have any hegemonic intentions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Sri Lanka wishes for an\nInternationally accepted Rules based maritime order and freedom of maritime\ncommerce<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         To overcome asymmetry <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         We believe in\nMultilateralism and not in Unilateralism<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         We do not like to see\nsecuritization of maritime trade and development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         We wish to see a \u2018balance\nof power\u2019 and not a mighty hegemonic power<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Sri Lanka is not a piece\nof \u2018Real Estate\u2019. Please respect Sri Lanka\u2019s National Interests<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s Economy and Foreign Policy directives<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         There is a brewing\neconomic crisis amidst the Covid-19 induced global economic meltdown <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Presidents\u2019 three pillar\nstrategy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         National Security<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Economic Development and\nEmpowerment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Foreign Relations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Five pillars of our\nforeign policy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Neutrality<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Friendly relations with\neveryone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Not to be caught up in\nmajor power game. We do not like to \u2018hedge\u2019 or \u2018choose\u2019 between states or \u2018Band\nWagoning\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         We need to maintain\nStrategic Autonomy\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Sri Lanka will not cede\ncontrol of strategic assets to foreign concerns.  Investment according to SLs vision\narticulated in Presidents\u2019 \u2018Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Understand India\u2019s\nstrategic security concerns specially in maritime and air domains and not to be\na strategic security concern to India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         MDA and NSA level talks\nbetween India, Sri Lanka and Maldives<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we the Indian Ocean Littorals wish to see taking place<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 We need a critical retrospection\nabout Indian Ocean from within<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           We wish to insulate the\nIndian Ocean from great power rivalries as in 1971 IOPZ (49 Years ago)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          Free from Nuclear weapons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          No great power rivalries<\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          No bases to support such\nrivalries<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Peace and stability in\nthe IO- to spread good will- to allow littoral states to develop economically<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Strengthen Economic Cooperation-\nSDGs UN 2030 Agenda<\/p>\n\n\n\n

o          Create wealth for people<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf0a7         Ethically<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf0a7         Environment friendly <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Strengthen Global supply\nchain<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Strengthen defence\ncooperation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Strengthen Maritime\nsecurity Cooperation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Technology cooperation-\nEducation, Health<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Mutual respect and\nmutual benefit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Partnerships-\nInclusivity and not Exclusivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Spirit of shared \u2018Global\nResponsibilities\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Indian Ocean to be an\nOpen, Inclusive, Transparent, Rules based, Cooperative ocean may be under the\nUN<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Strengthen multi-lateral\ncooperation, for security, diplomatic and an economic architecture for\ncooperative, collaborative Regional collective security mechanism <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         Alliances and partnership\nfor the IOR to convert Maritime Asia in to Continental Asia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         There is a critical need\nfor an Indian Ocean Narrative, Indian ocean maritime security strategy, IORA\nmay be the way forward<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         The essence of foreign\npolicy is the relationship with the \u2018other\u2019: the ally; the foe; the friend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         International diplomacy\nshould work at its best in the IOR<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         A journey of thousand\nmiles start with the first step. PF IOSC <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uf097         President Elect Joe Biden\nstated during his victory speech You can be opponents but you do not have to\nbe enemies\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key\nnote speech by Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Akira Sugiyama;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, let me begin by expressing my heartfelt appreciation to the\nPathfinder Foundation (PF) for organizing this conference most efficiently\ndespite having had to face numerous challenges due to the prevailing pandemic\nof COVID-19. In this regard, I would like to commend the ablest team of the PF\nled by Mr. Milinda Moragoda, the Founder of the Foundation and Ambassador\nBernard Goonetilleke, Chairman, as well as Ms. Ameera Arooze,\nDirector-Programmes, among other staff, for working tirelessly to bring us\ntogether on the common platform once again to discuss the pressing topics on\nthe security of the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting of the International Advisory Group (IAG), which was convened\non March 18th last year, had aimed at hammering out the multifaceted issues\nimpacting on the security of the Indian Ocean, and prepared ground for the\ncurrent PF-IOSC. The meeting thus conducted under skillful chairmanship of\nAmbassador Shivshankar Menon has successfully distilled the differing views and\nideas into three essential issues upon which the distinguished participants are\ngoing to discuss over the course of the next three days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IAG meeting identifed; a) Maritime Security and Freedom of\nNavigation, b)Enhancing Connectivity, and c)Addressing \u2018Mistrust\u2019 and \u2018Trust\nDeficiency\u2019 which resonate very closely with the three principles of the vision\nof a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, that is, a)Strengthening the Rule of Law,\nespecially Freedom of Navigation, b) Enhancing Connectivity through Quality\nInfrastructure\u201d, and c)Maintaining peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific\nRegion and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Free and Open Indo-Pacific, whose acronym is FOIP that the Government\nof Japan envisages and promotes, is a vision that upholds the Indo-Pacific\nOceans to be Global Commons,\u201d or international public goods,\u201d which would\nbenefit all the countries, littoral and non-littoral alike, and is an inclusive\nconcept open to all countries that share its basic principles. Such universal\nnature of FOIP, in my view, may have led the IAG to reach the basic affinity in\nits approach, which also reflects the common aspirations being long pursued in\nthe history of the Indian Ocean – in the form of mare liberum or the free sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Sri Lanka, located at\nthe strategic position on the east-west sea lanes, is an important partner in\nrealizing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific\u201d. Our Foreign Minister MOTEGI\nToshimitsu, during his visit to Sri Lanka last December, shortly after the inauguration\nof the new government under H.E. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, renewed Japan\u2019s\ncommitment to assisting Sri Lanka\u2019s development as a hub in the Indian Ocean.\nThe foundation of the present maritime cooperation between Sri Lanka and Japan,\nhowever, was laid back in 2014 when the then Prime Minister Abe paid an\nofficial visit to Sri Lanka. On that occasion, the then Prime Minister Abe and\nthe then H.E. President Mahinda Rajapaksa issued a Joint Statement, which was\nappropriately titled A New Partnership between Maritime Countries\u201d. In this\nJoint Statement, the two leaders expressed their determination to elevate\nJapan-Sri Lanka relations, which have matured and diversified based on the\nlong-standing friendship, into a new partnership between maritime countries\u201d;\nand to further strengthen the cooperative relations to play significant roles\nin the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific Ocean regions. Under the\nleadership of new Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide, Japan continues to pursue a\nFree and Open Indo-Pacific, and I would like to add that, as Prime Minister\nSUGA stated during the recent maiden Prime Ministerial visit to Vietnam and\nIndonesia, ASEAN\u2019s vision for the Indo-Pacific, that is, ASEAN Outlook on the\nIndo-Pacific (AOIP) shares many fundamental commonalities with the FOIP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on the agreed framework, Japan and Sri Lanka have made steady\nprogress in the area of maritime cooperation. On the maritime safety and\nsecurity, to begin with, Japan has extended assistance to Sri Lanka by, a)granting\ntwo new patrol vessels to Sri Lanka Coast Guard, b)extending technical\nassistance for improving oil spill management to Sri Lanka Coast Guard, in view\nthat Sri Lanka faces heavy traffic of oil tankers off the coast everyday, and\nc)supporting VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) Training Courses conducted\nby Global Maritime Crime Progrrame of UNODC closely supported by Sri Lanka\nNavy, to tackle the mounting challenge of illegal drug trafficking plaguing the\nregions, among others. Recently, the same patrol vessels also played an active\nrole in contributing to the joint effort carried out by Sri Lanka and India in\nsuccessfully extinguishing the fire that broke out on a distressed oil tanker\nsteering off the coast of Sri Lanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Japan has been strengthening exchanges between the Japanese\nMaritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Sri Lanka Navy through regular port\ncalls by JMSDF, especially on their way to and from the Gulf of Aden to engage\nin the counter-piracy operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With regard to enhancing the connectivity and maintaining the peace and\nprosperity in the region, Japan has been promoting Quality Infrastructure\u201d\ndevelopment in accordance with international standards, with particular\nemphasis on a) open access, b) transparency, c) economic efficiency including\nlife-cycle cost, and d) financial viability of recipient countries. Japan\ncontinues to engage in the development of quality infrastructure in Sri Lanka\nmost diligently, with special focus on ports, airports, power supply, water\nsupply, and irrigation, among others, to correspond to the needs of the\nGovernment and people of Sri Lanka.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Finally, the importance\nof Confidence-building cannot be over-emphasized for realizing the vision of a\nFree and Open Indo-Pacific. The present conference of the Pathfinder Foundation\nwill help create a conducive atmosphere for confidence-building among different\nstakeholders. As I stressed last year, Pathfinder Foundation\u2019s initiative to\nhold this important conference has particular significance because of Sri\nLanka\u2019s unique geographical location, as I mentioned earlier, and the prominent\nrole Sri Lanka has been playing in promoting the peace and prosperity of the\nregion. I strongly hope that today\u2019s conference will provide a valuable opportunity\nfor close and constructive exchange of views of prominent experts, which will\nlay a precious foundation for common understanding on the way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this note, I would like to express our great pleasure of being a  partner of PF-IOSC, and once again,\nappreciate the Pathfinder Foundation for organizing this iconic conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you very much for your kind attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-chairs\nof the conference, Amb. Shivshankar Menon,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to join\nAmbassador Bernard Goonetilleke in welcoming you all to the Pathfinder\nFoundation Indian Ocean Security Conference. It is a particular pleasure to\nwelcome (back) Admiral Colombage, who made this conference possible in his\nprevious avatar, and whom we have the privilege of hearing today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is good to see so many\nold friends at once, though virtually. I am particularly happy to see the\nnumber and high level of participants in the conference \u2014 we have over a\nhundred participants from business, think tanks, government, diplomatic\nmissions and academia. This is tribute to the reputation and expertise of the\nspeakers and the excellent papers that they have prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also due to the\nimportance of the subject of this conference, Indian Ocean security, and its\ntopicality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Indian Ocean has\nalways been an ocean of peace, an ocean of trade and human contact and\nmigration. It has avoided the fate of some closed seas of being primarily a\nbattle space or a domain of contention. It did so largely due to its geography,\nthough the inhabitants of the littoral can claim some credit. Its open\ngeography and predictable winds made it so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But today our life has\nbeen complicated by several factors: by advances in technology which make\ncontention in large open ocean spaces like the Indian Ocean and the western\nPacific possible; by the contention between great powers that characterises the\ngeopolitics of today; and, by the very high stakes that we all have in the flow\nof trade and energy across the Indian Ocean sea lanes. Today, the Indian Ocean\nis ringed by rising and rapidly developing states, and is significant to the\nsecurity and prosperity of several extra-regional powers. The size of the arms\nbuild up in the Indo-Pacific in the last two decades has no parallel anywhere\nin history. The central geopolitical fault line in the world today is in the\nAsia-Pacific, not in Europe as it was in the Cold War, and the Indian Ocean, or\nthe larger body of water known as the Indo-Pacific, is at the heart of that. As\na consequence, when the world is between orders, great powers are bringing\ntheir contention to the Indian Ocean. Security has thus become an issue in\nforms that are new and different from what we were used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I speak here of security\nin the broadest sense \u2014 not just of the safety of mariners, fishermen and their\nvessels but of everything up to ecological security, including the effects that\nclimate change and human actions are having on the ocean that is critical to\nour livelihoods. This is why we have sessions not just on the traditional hard\nsecurity issues later today, but also on enhancing connectivity tomorrow and on\nidentifying and addressing major issues day after tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But lest by speaking of\ncomplicated geopolitics and ecological threats I leave you with the wrong\nimpression, let me hasten to say that I am an optimist about the future of\nIndian Ocean security, despite the complications of contemporary geopolitics\nand the prospect of sustained great power rivalries. That is because we have\nthe skills and experience of working together and cooperating to deal with\nemerging security threats. In the past, we cooperated in new and imaginative\nways to successfully deal with piracy off the Horn of Africa and earlier around\nthe Straits of Malacca. If we put our minds to it, and realise our common\ninterest in keeping this a free and open ocean of peace, trade and travel, I am\nconfident that we will succeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that is what I hope\nthis conference will result in \u2014 that our discussions over these three days\nwill identify what is missing, and what more can be done, not just by the\nstates and navies but also by the other actors who affect Indian Ocean\nsecurity, broadly defined. What we suggest will have to inclusive, to serve the\ncommon interest, and to provide the maritime security and public goods in these\ncommons that we have so far taken for granted but that are today at risk not\njust from geopolitics but from environmental and other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do hope that we are\nable through our discussions to arrive at a common understanding and a set of\nrecommendations that would be of use to the governments, navies and others in\nour countries, around the Indian Ocean and beyond, build on UNCLOS to create a\nfree and open Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With these few words, let\nme welcome you again and wish you success in the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This track 1.5 event is\nexpected to create a platform for all stakeholders i.e. policy makers, relevant\ngovernment officials, researchers, scholars, subject matter experts, think-tank\nrepresentatives, print and electronic media etc. to engage in a constructive\ndiscussion, sharing expertise on relevant topics with a view to contribute to\nmaintain the Indian Ocean free of power rivalry, and facilitate free and\nunimpeded navigation for all interested parties, without exception and\nexclusion. The space provided by the conference could also be used to enhance\nbilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation and collaboration to address\ncommon threats in this global maritime common. It will also provide\nopportunities for networking and fellowship among participants and policy\nmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The platform provided by\nthe conference for an open and free discussion is expected to create a\nconducive environment to address existing mistrust and rivalry among the\nregional and extra-regional states; the impact on environmental security\narising from climate change and global warming; and transnational maritime\ncrime among others. It is the expectation of the Pathfinder Foundation that an\nopen discussion on the above and other related issues would result in mutually\nbeneficial win-win situation for the littorals as well as other users of the\nIndian Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bernard Goonetilleke,\nChairman-Pathfinder Foundation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka & the\nIndian Ocean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pathfinder\nFoundation is pleased that it was able to conduct this meeting amidst difficult\ncircumstances. Originally, we planned to have the meeting in April this year\nwith personal attendance of littoral countries in the IOR, for which purpose we\nheld a preparatory meeting in March 2019. However, it had to be postponed due\nto the  ongoing pandemic, which made us\nto conduct this gathering in virtual format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s interest in\nthe Indian Ocean is not new. Almost half a century ago, with the support of the\nnon-aligned countries, Sri Lanka succeeded in getting  Res. \n2832 adopted by the 26th  Session\nof the UN General Assembly. That task was undertaken with the intention of\ndeclaring the IO as a Zone of Peace. However, the intensity of the Cold War\nprevailed around that time prevented further negotiations to bring that\nDeclaration closer to reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the past several\nyears, the Pathfinder Foundation has done considerable work on the IO. We first\nfocused on the Bay of Bengal, on which we held two regional meetings, one in\n2017, and the other in 2018. And now, our focus is the wider Indian Ocean.\nAlso, in 2018, our Foundation proposed a draft \u2018Code of Conduct for the Indian\nOcean\u2019, to get the attention of the regional and extra-regional countries  for mutually agreed rule-based arrangement\nfor the IO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trade led to conquest<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For millennia, IO has\nbeen a place famous for maritime trade, – and, conquest was not the norm.\nHowever, with the arrival of the European powers since the beginning of the\n16th century,  first for trade and later\nconquest, majority of L & H countries of the IO ended up becoming colonies\nof – one or the other European powers. Decolonization process that commenced\nsince the end of the Second WW, saw the withdrawal of colonial powers dominated\nby the British from their possessions, which vacuum was quickly filled by the\nUSA. The Great Power rivalry that was at its height around this period, led to\nthe establishment of  new military bases,\nand forced countries in the region to throw their lot in favour of one or the\nother ideological camps.  The emergence\nof the NAM, since the Belgrade Conference, enabled the newly independent\ncountries, to take shelter from the super-power rivalry.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rationale for the IO\nSecurity Conference<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us briefly consider\nreasoning for this Conference to be convened by the Pathfinder Foundation.  Almost 3 decades after the end of the Cold\nWar dominated by a unipolar world, we are currently witnessing signs of another\nchange. That is, emergence of a multi-polar world, yet again. In this scenario,\nthere are emerging global powers such as China and India, and the former, is\nsaid to be challenging the current hegemon, with consequential reaction by the\nUS.  Meanwhile, both China and India are\nexpected to reach the heights of their new-found economic power by the middle\nof the century. What has not been clearly assessed is whether China is seeking\nto replace the US as the leading power in the Indo-Pacific, or merely looking\nfor its rightful place in the global system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve the predicted\neconomic growth, emerging economic powers will require unimpeded access to\nenergy and other resources and markets for finished goods. Each rising global\npower would consider that – it is their right to have unhindered access to  the desired natural resources, and it would\nbe their duty to protect the conveyance of \nsuch resources to their countries. Securing international sea lanes and\nensuring the vital choke points in the IO will not be blocked by hostile\nforces, will be a responsibility that no major industrial power could ignore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, no one should\nbe surprised by the determination of the current dominant power in the IO to\nhinder the progress of the challenger, notwithstanding the fact it will be a\nharbinger for confrontation. In the colonial era, European powers fought\nagainst each other using cannons mounted on sail ships. Any naval confrontation\nin the 21st century will rely on submarines, cruise missiles and wholly new\ngeneration of weapons with devastating results, disrupting the global economy\nand security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have also witnessed\nextra-regionals getting involved in regional armed conflicts such as the\n\u2018Tanker War\u2019 during the 8-year long Iran-Iraq war. As the confrontations\nescalated, the USA,  its allies and the\nRussian Federation deployed their naval vessels to protect movement of oil\ntankers. In that process, firing of missiles against ships, deploying of\nmines  in the Gulf resulting in hits that\nnearly sank \u2018USS Samuel B. Roberts\u2019, \nattacking Iranian oil platforms, and accidental downing of an Iranian\ncivilian airliner by a missile occurred in quick succession. Fighting raged\nuntil July 1988, when the UN Security Council Resolution 598 was adopted\nresulting in a ceasefire. That confrontation was not an isolated incident, as\nsimilar confrontations occurred in in the Gulf, during 2019 and 2020, with\nattacks, counter attacks and seizure of oil tankers etc. drone attacks against\nAramco owned oil processing facilities \nin Saudi Arabia etc., which threatened the security of the Gulf region\nand the global economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at the larger\npicture, confrontations between the dominant power and the challenger, may or\nmay not decide, who the winner is. \nHowever, consequential fallout will be detrimental to the interests of\nthe littoral countries, whose priority would be uninterrupted economic\ndevelopment leading to wellbeing of their populations. According to the ADB,\nthe development needs of the Asian countries would be in the range of massive\n26 trillion dollars from 2016 – 2030! Consequently, priority of the countries in\nthe region  would be to realize their\ndevelopment goals, and that will not be possible by choosing to become party to\nmilitary confrontations of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, we also note\nthe steady expansion of navies by regional states, such as India, Iran, Pakistan\netc. while other countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar have acquired\nsubmarine capability demonstrating their interest in safeguarding their\nnational security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Countries in the region\nalso have to face security threats emanating from non-state actors, who engage\nin piracy, drug and gun running, people smuggling, IUU fishing etc. Piracy\naround the Horn of Africa necessitated establishment of tripartite coalition\nconsisting of the NATO, the EU and the US combined Maritime Forces, with\nothers, such as India and China joining in \nanti-piracy patrolling, in response to the call made by the UN Security\nCouncil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have to accept the\nfact that the Indian Ocean is a common heritage of the global community, and as\nin the past, its sea lanes will continue to provide accessibility to regional\nas well as extra-regional states. Meanwhile, non-state actors too will make use\nof the ocean to carry out illegal activities, as Sri Lanka had experienced\nduring the separatist war that ended in 2009. What is needed therefore is an\narrangement to maintain \u2018good order at sea\u2019. \nEnsuring the ocean is \u2018open and free\u2019 for all, without exception, in\nkeeping with the Convention on the Law of the Sea and finding ways and means of\naddressing any shortcomings in that Convention, through discussion and\nnegotiation, and taking steps for domain awareness are among the solutions to\nthe problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me conclude by\nasking, is it practical to expect removal of naval and other military assets of\nthe extra-regional powers from the IO? Is it pragmatic to expect emerging naval\npowers not to establish such facilities, which in their opinion, are necessary\nto ensure supply energy and other resources? Finally, what specific\narrangements are available or necessary to address the prevailing mistrust,\nwhich may result in miscalculations leading to armed confrontation? Perhaps we\nshould concentrate more on confidence building measures and give high priority\nto domain awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the expectation of\nthe Pathfinder Foundation that the papers submitted by the eminent academics\nand professionals would enable the participants to address the broad issues\nduring our 3-day discussion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Press Release\u00a0 The Pathfinder Indian Ocean Security Conference as a webinar Inaugural Session held on 10th, November 2020 and it will continue next two days as the three sessions. The first, on Maritime Security and Freedom of Navigation, will be moderated by Prof. Raja C. Mohan, Director-Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore; […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108506"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108506\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}