IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Nov 17:
The 7th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs was held in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, in which Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, led the two member Indian Naval delegation.
The conclave of Chiefs was attended by Chiefs of Navies/ Heads of Lead Maritime Agencies of IONS nations. Various bilateral interactions were conducted on the side-lines of the conclave to facilitate a greater degree of maritime cooperation and understanding between the IONS nations, official statement said.
The 7th edition of IONS Symposium was held at Le-Reunion from January 28 Jun to July 01, this year, in hybrid format due to COVID protocols. During the Symposium, it was agreed upon to conduct the extant conclave of Chiefs at Paris.
IONS was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008 as a forum which seeks to enhance maritime co-operation among Navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive platform for discussions on regionally relevant maritime issues that would lead to common understanding on the way ahead. The inaugural edition of IONS was held in Feb 2008 at New Delhi, with Indian Navy as the Chair for two years. The IONS Chair is presently held with France.