The protection of submarine cables will be the focus of a maritime security workshop organized by India and the European Union (EU) in New Delhi on Friday, involving participants from major Indian Ocean countries located near strategic submarine infrastructure.
Seventy participants from India, the EU and Indian Ocean countries, including military personnel and officials from government agencies such as the Navy and Coast Guard, will discuss ways to secure critical underwater infrastructure, with a focus on the region’s undersea cables that are crucial for communications and trade.
The Track 1.5 seminar will also strengthen maritime cooperation between India, the EU and the Indo-Pacific region to secure underwater infrastructure by mapping risks, sharing best practices and fostering practical technological and policy solutions, the EU said on Wednesday.
Data cables connecting continents and countries and connecting India and the EU to the rest of the world carry 99% of intercontinental internet traffic. They are essential to commerce and digital growth. However, they are also unprotected on the ocean floor, difficult to monitor and “vulnerable to malicious activity and intentional damage”, the EU said.
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Representatives from Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman and Seychelles, which have vital submarine cables nearby, will participate in the seminar, which will assess risks and consider responses with a focus on regional and global cooperation.
The event is organized by India’s National Maritime Foundation and the EU with the support of the European security and defense project ESIWA+ (Enhancing the EU’s Security Cooperation in and with Asia and the Indo-Pacific).
The workshop focused on submarine cables represents a “vital step in the ongoing maritime security dialogues between the EU and India,” said EU Ambassador Hervé Delphin. “Maritime cooperation is a key part of the EU-India strategic agenda. This workshop on submarine cable security and resilience reflects the common interest we have in developing a comprehensive approach to maritime security,” he said.
The EU Cable Security Action Plan provides a framework for strengthening the security of submarine cable infrastructure and can serve as a basis for developing further cooperation and joint strategies with key international partners such as India, he said.
Vice Admiral (retd) Pradeep Chauhan, Director General, National Maritime Foundation, said the workshop would promote regional maritime action aimed at securing undersea infrastructure, critical to economic security and sovereignty. “The discussions will identify vulnerabilities, highlight best practices and promote concrete solutions integrating technology, policy and cooperation,” he said.
The seminar builds on the recent EU-India maritime security dialogue and a ministerial meeting on the protection of critical maritime infrastructure held in Brussels in November on the sidelines of the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum.
Protecting underwater infrastructure requires both improved monitoring and control systems to detect threats in real time, and also requires strategic coordination between governments, private operators and international partners to ensure a rapid response, the EU said.
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