New Delhi : A strong case for the establishment of an 'Indian Ocean Panchayat' was made on Friday by Vice-President Hamid Ansari who asked the littoral nations to build confidence among themselves for better maritime security.
Observing that cooperation among the nations situated on the Indian Ocean Rim was a must, he said over time, such measures could "lead to.... an 'Indian Ocean Panchayat', a self-governing council or collective ombudsman empowered to take decisions on behalf of the community, settle disputes and suggest ways to prevent disputes".
Addressing the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium being attended by top naval officials from 27 countries, the Vice-President said while the security in choke points on Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and Red Sea was controlled primarily by "extra-regional" powers, the situation on the eastern seas was primarily dominated by littoral nations.
Observing that the difference between the two approaches was "significant", he said "the former primarily involves the extra-regional powers and gives the impression of being hegemonic, the latter primarily involves the littoral and user states and is focused on cooperation.
"This gathering would, undoubtedly, make its own judgements."
Ansari said the issue of maritime security should be considered at three levels.
The first was to establish transparency among the littoral states, including advance notice of exercises and ship movements.