India has always focused on developing ties with friendly countries: Mandaviya

Mumbai, Mar 2 (PTI) India has always focused on developing bilateral and mutual trade, economic and security ties with friendly countries and maritime passage in the region and beyond, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.
Addressing the ministerial session of the virtual Maritime India Summit, 2021, the minister said, “The government is working in full steam to develop further infrastructure for inner cooperation and connectivity with Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.”

Mandaviya added that he is keen to engage with all participating countries and identify mutual areas of cooperation in the maritime trade and commerce domain.

Speaking at the session, Nepal”s Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Basant Nembang said his country”s government was laying stress on facilitating maritime support.

“We are currently in the process of preparing and enacting maritime-related policies and Acts. Similarly, India and Nepal have agreed to use inland waterway routes to facilitate the maritime vessels and manage the internal waterways facility,” he said.

Russia”s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Oleg N Ryazantsev said the Russian government is focussing on making civil shipbuilding a key area for industrial cooperation between Russian enterprises and foreign partners, with India holding an important place among them.

Uzbekistan”s Deputy Transport Minister Choriyev Jasurbek Ergashevich said Uzbekistan pays great attention to the development of effective strategies and solutions that allow optimising transport cost when introducing international cargo transportation by providing quality, safety, speed of freight and passenger traffic.

Stating that both India and France are closely collaborating on the ocean economy and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and to boost bilateral trade, Norway”s State Secretary for Climate and Environment Lars Andreas Lunde said India is a strong partner for Norway. “Both countries enjoy a long-standing relationship.”

France”s Minister of Marine Affairs Annick Girardin said that both India and France are firmly attached to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“We wish to develop our maritime and port infrastructure in a lasting, transparent, financially sustainable way while respecting the sovereignty of states. It is, therefore, natural for France to work with India on the Blue Economy,” Girardin said.