Rajnath Singh calls for cooperation among navies to tackle challenges at sea

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has called upon the international community to effectively tackle the challenges at sea while acting in the spirit of mutual respect. Speaking after launching MILAN 2026 in Visakhapatnam on 19 February, Rajnath Singh said: “The role of Navies in international peacemaking has only increased over time. There has been an exponential economic growth during the last few decades, leading to a massive increase in international trade and transport. There has also been a rise in contests for ownership of straits and channels, sometimes causing threats of flare-up. Increasing international attention to underwater resources, particularly rare-earth minerals are adding a new dimension to this tension. In addition, there is a need to guard our waters from the nefarious terrorist activities that are spreading tentacles across countries and regions.”
Rajnath Singh asserted that traditional threats coexist with emerging challenges such as piracy, maritime terrorism, illegal fishing, trafficking, cyber vulnerabilities, and disruptions to critical supply chains, adding that climate change was intensifying natural disasters, making humanitarian and disaster relief operations more frequent and demanding.

No single navy, however capable, can address these challenges alone, he said, underscoring the need for enhanced cooperation among the Navies to ensure a safer and more secure future.

He further said that the robust legal framework provided by the UN Convention on the Law of Seas (UNCLOS) to address matters related to international waters can be further strengthened through a comprehensive global naval architecture.

Pointing out that the established international order was witnessing an upheaval, Rajnath Singh stated that platforms like MILAN bring together professional expertise, build mutual trust, enhance interoperability, and enable coordinated responses to common challenges. “When our ships sail together, when our sailors train together, and when our commanders deliberate together, we build a shared understanding that transcends geography, politics and provides an opportune moment to deliberate on this idea of cooperation,” he said.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu