Indian Ocean States Should Close Ranks to Improve Maritime Security

Security in the strategically important Indian Ocean region is intertwined with that of the world and so all littoral states should pool their resources to further help protect the vital trade route, say Iranian officials. 
“The geostrategic, geopolitical and geoeconomic features of the Indian Ocean have led to the region playing an influential role in international affairs,” Chairman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri told the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium.  
The three-day meeting opened in Tehran on Monday. Safeguarding the security of the Indian Ocean—the world’s third largest after the Pacific and the Atlantic — is the function of the countries located near the vast body of water, IRNA quoted him as saying.  Military officials from 35 countries attended the first day of the meeting during which Iran took over the two-year chairmanship of the symposium, commonly known as IONS.