India, EU to Hold Talks on Securing Undersea Cables Before Summit

Weeks ahead of the annual India-EU summit, senior officials from the two sides will this week deliberate on the security and resilience of undersea cables as part of a broader focus on boosting maritime security in the Indian Ocean region.

The next edition of the summit between India and the 27-nation European Union is scheduled to take place on January 27 in New Delhi, and possible cooperation in protecting critical undersea infrastructure is likely to figure prominently in the talks.

Around 70 senior military personnel and officials from India, the EU and Indian Ocean countries will hold extensive deliberations on Friday to discuss how to secure critical submarine infrastructure with a focus on sea cables in the Indian Ocean region.

This meeting is aimed at strengthening cooperation among India, the EU and the larger Indo-Pacific in securing critical undersea infrastructure by mapping risks, sharing best practices, and driving practical technology and policy-led solutions, according to the EU.

"Data cables connect continents and states, link islands to the mainland and connect both the EU and India to the rest of the world, carrying 99 per cent of inter-continental internet traffic," it said.

Data cables are now vital to trade and digital development in numerous sectors of the world economy.

However, being unguarded on the ocean floor, physically accessible and difficult to monitor, underwater infrastructure is vulnerable to hostile actions and purposeful damage, which can have enormous global repercussions, the EU said in a statement.

With a focus on regional and international cooperation, it stated that the Track 1.5 EU-India regional symposium will evaluate present risks and explore potential solutions.

It has been jointly organised by the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) of India and the European Union and the EU security and defence initiative ESIWA+ (Enhancing the EU's Security Cooperation in and with Asia and the Indo-Pacific).

"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 envoy said the EU Action Plan on Cable Security provides a framework to strengthen the security and resilience of submarine cable infrastructures.

It can serve as a basis to develop further cooperation and joint strategies with key international partners like India in this domain, he said.

"The EU's regional focus on the Indian Ocean is all the more important given the increasing number of initiatives between Europe, India and other regional partners, not least in the context of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and other projects connecting these geographies," Delphin added.

Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (retd), Director-General of the National Maritime Foundation, stated that the workshop will support additional regional maritime discussion and action on defending underwater infrastructure, which is essential for sovereignty and economic security.
According to him, the conversation will specifically focus on identifying weaknesses, highlighting excellent practices, and encouraging practical solutions that incorporate cooperation, technology, and policy.

The seminar builds on the fourth EU-India Dialogue on maritime security and the ministerial discussion on the protection of key maritime infrastructure, held last month in Brussels.

"It also demands strategic coordination between governments, private operators, and international partners to ensure rapid response and resilience," the EU said.

The EU plays a role in enhancing maritime security in the region, in particular with its naval operations Atalanta and Aspides in the North-West Indian Ocean.