MARITIME COOPERATION IN THE INDO-PACIFIC BETWEEN INDIA, GERMANY AND THE EU

The Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the vulnerability of the nations and the need to have an international order which will shield the nations against the various risks arising out of the ripple effect of the war. Geographical tensions, territorial conflicts, the environment

- Surbhi Arora

of uncertainty, climate change, escalating price levels, etc. are some of the aftermaths of war and pose a threat to the existence of humans and animals. Amidst these, international business and logistics suffer the most.

The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of Earth’s seas, comprising of the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the Western and Central Pacific Ocean and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia. The Indo-Pacific region generates 60 percent of the world’s GDP and is linked to Europe through transregional production networks and supply chains. India is an important partner to the European Union as it is slated to become the third largest economy by 2030 and has two strategic coastlines at the heart of the Indian Ocean.

Germany may not see the Indo-Pacific region as immediate geopolitical relevance but it understands the interconnectedness of global business and its impact in case of disruptions. Germany’s former Minister for Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas had said, “The Himalayas and the Strait of Malacca may seem far away. But our prosperity and geopolitical influence in the coming decades are also based on how we work with the states of the Indo-Pacific.”