India and the European Union will hold detailed discussions this week on boosting the security and resilience of undersea cables in the Indian Ocean, weeks before the annual India-EU summit scheduled for January 27 in New Delhi. Cooperation on protecting critical submarine infrastructure is likely to feature prominently at the summit, PTI reported.According to the EU, around 70 senior military personnel and officials from India, the EU and Indian Ocean countries will meet on Friday for extensive deliberations on securing critical submarine infrastructure, particularly sea-cables. The discussions aim to map risks, share best practices and pursue practical technology- and policy-led solutions.“Data cables connect continents and states, link islands to the mainland and connect both EU and India to the rest of the world, carrying 99 per cent of inter-continental internet traffic,” the EU said. It noted that undersea cables — indispensable to global commerce and digital growth — remain vulnerable as they lie unprotected on the ocean floor and are difficult to monitor.The seminar is being jointly organised by the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) of India, the European Union and the EU security and defence project ESIWA+ (Enhancing the EU’s Security Cooperation in and with Asia and the Indo-Pacific). The EU said the track-1.5 meeting will assess current risks and consider possible responses with an emphasis on regional and global cooperation.EU Ambassador to India Herve Delphin said the workshop marks an important step in ongoing EU-India maritime security dialogues.“Cooperation in the maritime domain is a key component of the strategic EU-India agenda. This workshop on the security and resilience of submarine cables reflects the shared interest we have in developing a comprehensive approach to maritime security,” he said.Delphin added that the EU Action Plan on Cable Security provides a framework to strengthen submarine cable security.He said it “can serve as a basis to develop further cooperation and joint strategies with key international partners like India in this domain”, adding that the EU’s focus on the Indian Ocean is growing amid new initiatives involving Europe, India and regional partners, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.NMF Director-General Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (retd) said the workshop would help “foster further regional maritime dialogue and action on securing undersea infrastructure, which is critical for economic security and sovereignty.”He said discussions would identify vulnerabilities, highlight best practices and promote solutions combining technology, policy and cooperation.PTI reported that the seminar builds on the fourth EU-India Dialogue on maritime security and the ministerial meeting on protecting critical maritime infrastructure held last month in Brussels.According to the EU, protecting undersea infrastructure requires enhanced surveillance and monitoring systems to detect threats in real time, along with strategic coordination between governments, private operators and international partners.The EU highlighted its broader maritime security role in the region through naval missions Atalanta and Aspides in the North-West Indian Ocean.
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