Minister of External Affairs of India Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has called for the development of a regional cooperation structure to fight marine pollution and environmental degradation in the Indian Ocean region.
Jaishankar was speaking at the 4th Indian Ocean Conference in Maldives at a panel discussion with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramesinghe, Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The leaders discussed marine ecology, terrorism, and navigational security at the conference.
The theme for the IOC is Securing the Indian Ocean region: Traditional and Non-Traditional Challenges.
The coastal areas of the Asiatic subcontinent have started showing signs of deterioration, according to a United Nations report. There is little awareness in the region about maritime pollution and research on effects of pollution, other than from industrial resources is scarce.