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चैत्र कृष्ण पक्ष, शुक्रवार, चर्तुथी

News

India, Pak Coast Guards Hold Talks


Date:- 29 May 2018


India and Pakistan on Monday discussed issues like boundary violations by fishermen, enhancement of co-operation in maritime search and rescue besides ways to combat pollution at sea during the meeting of the Coast Guard chiefs of the two countries here. India stressed the need for a standard operating procedure (SOP) for early release of fishermen on humanitarian grounds, who inadvertently violate maritime boundary.

Incidentally, a meeting between the two chiefs slated in October last year was called off amid tension over the arrest and sentencing to death of Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of spying by Pakistan.

The meeting on Monday was between Coast Guard chief Rajendra Singh and a four-member Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) led by its Director General Rear Admiral Zaka-u-Rehman. He was accompanied by director operations of PMSA, an official each from Pakistan Ministry of Defence and ministry of foreign affairs. Two members including a defence attaché and a political secretary at Pakistan High Commission also took part in the deliberations.

“A lot of focus of the meeting was on (violation of maritime boundary by) fishermen,” Singh later said adding the two sides also discussed to enhance cooperation in the area of search and rescue operations and cooperation in the field of (maritime) pollution.

The high-level meeting took place under the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two agencies in 2005. This annual meeting is a significant link between the two maritime agencies for addressing various and the two Service heads from Indian Coast Guard and Pakistan MSA also have a hotline link between them for regular exchange of information on non-military maritime issues as per the MoU between the two governments, Indian officials said.

During the meeting, the Indian side reiterated the need for instituting SOP for immediate release andrepatriation of the fishermen who cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) inadvertently.

Further, expeditious exchange of the information about the apprehension of fishing boats and fishermen byboth sides was also recognised to ensure safety of the fisher folks.

Appreciating the need for collaboration for preservation and protection of marine environment, both sides agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation in the field of oil spill response at sea in line with the MoU signed recently by India with the South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Tuesday, 29 May 2018 | PNS | New Delhi