India and Japan to coordinate moves and exercises in maritime arena; India’s Dornier surveillance aircraft to boost Seychelles’ coastal security
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    • JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3

    Reports noted that the first India-Japan Maritime Affairs Dialogue was held in New Delhi on January 29, 2013. The Indian delegation was led by Mr. D.B. Venkatesh Varma, Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs), in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Japanese delegation by Mr. Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Deputy Director General (Ambassador), Foreign Policy Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Representatives of various Ministries participated from both sides. Issues of mutual interest were discussed, inter alia, maritime security including non-traditional threats, cooperation in shipping, marine sciences and technology, marine biodiversity and cooperation at various multilateral forums. 1

    In another development, reports noted that the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony handed over Dornier surveillance aircraft to the Foreign Minister of Seychelles Mr. Jean Paul Adam on January 31. The maritime surveillance aircraft will be used to guard the extensive coastline of the island nation in the Indian Ocean. Describing the event as yet another milestone in the defence cooperation between India and Seychelles, Shri Antony said HAL-DO-228 aircraft is being extensively utilized by our various users such as the Coast Guard, the Navy, Air Force and civilians for a variety of applications. He said it is a frontline surveillance platform for applications like maritime reconnaissance, intelligence warfare, search and rescue, pollution control and transport. He expressed confidence that the aircraft will prove useful for maritime applications by Seychelles, as it is fitted with the latest state of the art surveillance and communication equipment. 2

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