MEA brings Indo-Pacific, ASEAN Policies under One Unit

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is creating a new Oceania Territorial Division by integrating Indo-Pacific and ASEAN divisions within it. Through this move, India is seeking to align policies in the regions stretching from Western Pacific (Pacific Island) to Andaman Sea. 

India will focus administrative and diplomatic attention in the region which is seeing growing Military assertiveness of China.

Key Points:

i.The new Ocean Territorial Division will function with Australia as its centre.

ii.Reenat Sandhu, Additional Secretary will head the Territorial Division and will be assisted by Two Senior Directors, Geetika Srivastava and Paulomi Tripathi. 

iii.The move signals a Coordination of Indian interests along key Organizations and nations in the Indo-Pacific. 

Indo-Pacific Division:

In 2019, Former Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale created the Indo-Pacific Division which included ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations), QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) and IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association).

Indian Ocean Region (IOR):

MEA had also created Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Division, which included Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. Later in 2019 it included Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles in the IOR.

List of Organizations under which India is a Member:

East Asia Summit – EAS (18 Members)

Asia Europe Meeting – ASEM (53 Members – 51 countries & 2 Regional Organizations)

Mekong-Ganga Cooperation – MGC (6 Members)