Rajnath, Jaishankar to address 4-day Navy commanders conference

New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) Top commanders of the Indian Navy will carry out a comprehensive review of the country’s maritime security, including the situation in the Indian Ocean region and the possible implications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, at a four-day conclave beginning Monday.

The Navy said the conference will be addressed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who will also interact with the commanders. It is perhaps the first time in many years that the external affairs minister will also address the naval commanders’ conference that serves as a platform to discuss important maritime matters at the military-strategic level.

The commanders are expected to have specific deliberations on the Chinese Navy’s increasing forays into the Indian Ocean as well as its increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. “The conference would also dwell upon dynamics of the geostrategic situation in the backdrop of security scenario in the neighbourhood as well as changes emerging due to ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict,” Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

He said Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari will also interact with the naval commanders on issues like ensuring convergence among the three services vis-à-vis a common operational environment with an aim to augment tri-services synergy and readiness. “During the conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will address and interact with the naval commanders on matters pertaining to the national security,” Commander Madhwal said.

The spokesperson said Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and other naval commanders will review major operational, material, logistics, human resource development, training and administrative activities undertaken by the Indian Navy in the last six months. He said they will further deliberate upon plans for important activities and initiatives. “The Indian Navy is focused on being a combat-ready, credible and cohesive force with a future-ready outlook and continues to assiduously execute its mandate,” Commander Madhwal said.

“The Navy has witnessed a significant growth in its operational tasking over the years in consonance with India’s growing maritime interests. Indian Navy’s standing as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ has also grown concomitantly in recent times,” he said.

In 2020-21, Indian Navy ships have undertaken multiple COVID-19 related outreach missions to provide food and medical aid to Indian Ocean Region littoral nations and beyond as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in Region), Commander Madhwal added.