Coast Guard Commanders' Conference discusses maritime issues

The Coast Guard Commanders' Conference, which continued for the second day on Tuesday, witnessed intense deliberations on wide range of maritime issues, a statement by the Defence Ministry said.

The Indian Coast Guard Commanders discussed the ever emerging challenges in the maritime domain and put forth the steps taken to mitigate these challenges.

The ways and means to safeguard the operational infrastructure of the Coast Guard against cyber attack and cyber espionage was also discussed.

The statement said boarding operation at sea are imperative for deterrence and are yielding positive results and hence continuance with same impetus was emphasised upon during the discussion.

The conference was inaugurated by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday.

In her inaugural address, she had applauded the Indian Coast Guard's "relentless" surveillance efforts in the vast maritime arena and the quick response to the natural calamity in Kerala thus being a capable force in the Indo-Pacific region.

"The safety and security scenario emerging in the region after relaxation in cabotage regulations, inland waterways necklaces and SagarMala projects were deliberated and Director General Rajendra Singh apprised the Coast Guard Commanders that the operational philosophy will continue to be in sync with Prime Minister's vision of 'SAGAR'," the statement said.