Pro-BJP think tank to meet international groups from Singapore, Bangladesh

NEW DELHI: Pro-BJP think tank India foundation led by party general secretary Ram Madhav is organising a crucial meet in collaboration with think tanks from Bangladesh, Singapore and Sri Lanka early september in the city state of Singapore on the Indian ocean region (ior) where India is trying to emerge as net security provider amid growing chinese maritime ambitions.

Titled ‘Indian ocean conference’ this is first overseas track 1.5 initiative by India foundation that may also be attended by the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe.

The theme of the two-day conference to be held on september 1-3 is in line with the Modi government’s foreign policy priorities that includes ior and blue-economy, a person familiar with the developments told et.

Top think tanks from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Singapore- Bangladesh institute of international & strategic studies, institute of policy studies and S. Rajaratnam school of international studies respectively will be partners for the meet.

All these three countries have significant stakes in the indian ocean region.

The conference would be attended by eminent leaders and distinguished delegates from over 15 countries in ior as the Modi government hopes to host the meet annually across various locations.

The significance of ior was highlighted when Modi made visits to seychelles, Mauritius and Sri lanka as part of one visit last year.

The conference endeavours to convene critical states and principal maritime partners in the ior to cogitate and deliberate on myriad issues impinging on region-wide national security and national development, through the triprism of geo-strategic, geo-economic and geo-cultural, rendering maritime affairs to not merely be a realm of concern for national security planners and the strategic establishment, but to connect with the broad swathe of popular opinion, discourse, consciousness and imagination, across ior communities and societies, according to the india foundation conference note. sub-themes of the conference include security dimensions in the ior, development of the blue economy and civilization trends in the maritime domain.