Facts Box: Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative

The Indo-Pacific Initiative was proposed by PM Modi for a safe and secure maritime at the East Asia Summit. This indicates that India is ready to play a bigger role in the region where China has been pushing its military assertiveness.

Facts of Indo-Pacific Initiative

• The idea of the initiative was mooted by the PM when he addressed the East Asia Summit in Thailand.
• The main objective of the initiative is to achieve safe, secure and a stable maritime domain.
• The initiative aims to achieve this by creating partnerships among interested states by sustainably using marine resources.
• To take the initiative forward, India will organize a Indo-Pacific Conclave in Chennai early next year.
• Japan, Australia and Thailand support the initiative already. And many more ASEAN countries are expected to express their support to the initiative in the near future.
• The initiative is considered by the experts as an incremental step to the Shangri la dialogue.

Significance of the initiative

• This will give confidence to minor players of ASEAN that their role in the region will not be diluted
• It will ensure freedom of navigation, freedom of overflights and the disputed are resolved as per international conventions