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“At this point of time, Pacific and South China
Sea are of concern to the global community, but
in terms of any active deployment from our side,
it is not on the cards,” Indian Navy chief Admiral
Nirmal Verma said at his farewell press conference
here Aug 7. He will retire from service this month
end.
“It is true that major policy statements that
have been issued by the US include future deployment
in the Pacific. From our perspective, our primary
area of interest that has been defined for us
extends from the Malacca Straits to the (Persian)
Gulf in the west, to down south to Cape of Good
Hope,” he said. However, he wished that India
and its Navy could do much more in the Indian
Ocean region that it is doing at present.
“This is an area where we would like to do much
more that what we are doing today. There is a
fair amount that is happening and there is a fair
amount of work to be done as far as the Indian
Ocean region is concerned,” he said.
India has been actively patrolling the Indian
Ocean region, considering that this area is its
backyard and hence its responsibility.
Apart from anti-piracy patrols in the region,
it is also actively helping smaller island states
in the region to monitor its exclusive economic
zone, as also in capacity-building of these nation’s
maritime forces.
“There is certainly much more we need to do over
here,” Adm Verma said.
Explaining the rationale for his views, the Indian
Navy chief said India does not want a situation
in South China Sea when some untoward incident
happens and that upsets global shipping. “Because
it is going to have an impact on everybody.” South
China Sea is a key region and a major world trade
route. Adm Verma said he believed that major powers
operating in South China Sea are calibrating their
steps so that a conflict situation does not arise
there.
“All the players in South China Sea, that is
the littorals, are conscious of what could happen
if hostilities are ever to occur. These are also
mature, major nations in the region,” he said,
expressing confidence that global trade and economics
will not let “further turmoil” in the region.
“Hopefully the situation does not precipitate,”
he observed.
(IANS)
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