India, EU jointly organise workshop on protecting critical undersea cables

Seventy participants from India, the EU and Indian Ocean countries will discuss ways to secure critical submarine infrastructure, with the focus on undersea cables

The protection of undersea cables will be in focus at a maritime security workshop being organised by India and the European Union (EU) in New Delhi on Friday which will be attended by participants from key Indian Ocean countries located close to strategic submarine infrastructure.

The workshop represents “essential step forward in the ongoing EU-India maritime security dialogues”. (Representative file photo)

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 submarine infrastructure, with the focus on undersea cables in the region that are crucial for communications and commerce.

The track 1.5 seminar will also strengthen maritime cooperation between India, the EU and the Indo-Pacific region for securing undersea infrastructure by mapping risks, sharing best practices, and driving practical technology and policy-led solutions, the EU said on Wednesday.

Data cables connecting continents and countries and linking India and the EU to the rest of the world carry 99% of inter-continental internet traffic. They are indispensable for commerce and digital growth. However, they are also unprotected on the ocean floor, difficult to monitor, and “vulnerable to malign activities and intentional damage”, the EU said.

Representatives from Madagascar, the Maldives, Mauritius, Oman and the Seychelles, which have vital undersea cables in their vicinity, will participate in the seminar, which will assess risks and consider responses with an emphasis on regional and global cooperation.

The event is being organised by India’s National Maritime Foundation and the EU with support from the EU security and defence project ESIWA+ (Enhancing the EU’s Security Cooperation in and with Asia and the Indo-Pacific).

The workshop focused on submarine cables represents an “essential step forward in the ongoing EU-India maritime security dialogues”, said EU ambassador Hervé Delphin. “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.

The EU Action Plan on Cable Security provides a framework for strengthening the security of undersea cable infrastructure, and can serve as the basis for developing further cooperation and joint strategies with key international partners such as India, he said.

Vice Admiral (retired) Pradeep Chauhan, director general of the National Maritime Foundation, said the workshop will foster regional maritime action on securing undersea infrastructure, critical for economic security and sovereignty. “The discussions will identify vulnerabilities, highlight best practices and promote concrete solutions that integrate technology, policy and cooperation,” he said.

The seminar builds on the recent EU-India dialogue on maritime security and a ministerial meeting on protection of critical maritime infrastructure held in Brussels in November on the margins of the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum.

Protecting undersea infrastructure requires both enhanced surveillance and monitoring systems for real-time detection of threats, and also demands strategic coordination between governments, private operators and international partners to ensure a rapid response, the EU said.