Context:
During his visit, New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon expressed interest in joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI):
- Introduced by India in November 2019.
- Announced at the ASEAN-led East Asia Summit (EAS) in Bangkok.
- Builds upon the “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (SAGAR) initiative (2015)
- Membership – Open to all like-minded Indo-Pacific countries.
- Current lead partners – Australia, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, France, United Kingdom and India
- Objectives –
- Foster cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
- Strengthen safety, stability, and development in the maritime domain.
- Nature – Non-treaty-based and voluntary arrangement.
- Structure – No new institutional framework is envisaged
- Leverages the East Asia Summit mechanism, involving ASEAN members and 8 dialogue partners.
- 7 Pillars of IPOI –
- Maritime Security: Led by the UK and India.
- Maritime Ecology: Led by Australia and Thailand.
- Maritime Resources: Led by France and Indonesia.
- Capacity Building and Resource Sharing: Led by Germany.
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Management: Led by India and Bangladesh.
- Science, Technology, and Academic Cooperation: Led by Italy and Singapore.
- Trade, Connectivity, and Maritime Transport: Led by Japan and the US.
Source: Prime Minister of India
Previous Year Question
With reference to the ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership’, consider the following statements:
1. It is an agreement among all the Pacific Rim countries except China and Russia.
2. It is a strategic alliance for the purpose of maritime security only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2016 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d)