Kunming, 30 August 2023 (TDI): The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Pakistan and the Research Institute for Indian Ocean Economics (RIIO) of China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a multilateral cooperation network of Indian Ocean think tanks.
The idea was introduced during the Research Institute for Indian Ocean Economics’ 8th international conference on ‘Common Development of China and the Indian Ocean Region’ in Kunming.
The conference’s theme was “Challenges and Prospects of Blue Economy Cooperation in the Indian Ocean: From the Perspective of Security and Development.”
Additionally, the goal of this agreement is to address strategic challenges in the Indian Ocean via policy research and cooperative initiatives.
The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) has joined a Chinese institution’s endeavour to establish a multilateral cooperative network of think tanks in the Indian Ocean Region.
Top officials from India’s School of International Studies, Myanmar’s Centre for Economic and Social Development, Bangladesh’s Centre for Policy Dialogue, and Sri Lanka’s Pathfinder Foundation also attended the event.
Following the completion of the appropriate requirements, the participating institutions signed a letter of intent to join the network.
Moreover, IPS Chairman Khalid Rahman said that the economy, lives, and cultural identities of the governments and people surrounding IOR are intrinsically connected to it.
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Furthermore, he stated that there is a need for a greater focus on maritime-specific policies, research and education, knowledge and information sharing, establishing mechanisms and networks, integrated planning on regional scales, and community, and other stakeholders, including governments for continuous, coordinated, and proactive growth of blue economies.
In the end, he stated that maintaining a healthy competitive environment was unavoidable in order to capitalize on new opportunities arising not just in existing but also in emergent areas.
