Manipal Academy of Higher Education, in association with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, is hosting an international conference on India and the EU in the Indo-Pacific: Strategies, Opportunities, and Challenges in Manipal, Udupi. The conference, organized by the Manipal Centre for European Studies and the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, brings together academicians, diplomats, policymakers, and researchers from India and Europe to deliberate on the role of India and the European Union in the changing geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Expanding economic and technological cooperation between the EU and India is mutually beneficial. However, Europe needs to explain its ambivalence in its policy towards China”, said Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia. Delivering the keynote address after inaugurating an International Conference on India and EU in the Indo-Pacific in Manipal, he added, that the EU’s inclination to prioritize trade over security and strategy could pose difficulties in the future. He advocated the need for sustained deliberations on rules-based international order, maritime security, and the potential of sustainable development for mutually beneficial and deeper cooperation between the EU and India.
Prof M D Nalapat in his inaugural address echoed the thought: “In a way that benefits all our people, India and EU need to figure out a framework that creates successful collaborative networks”. He invoked the democratic ideals of Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of West Germany after the Second World War. He stressed how such ideals are important in quelling predatory powers in this region.
As a region that accounts for sixty percent of the GDP of the world, the Indo-Pacific has emerged as a site of contestation and has drawn the attention of the global community to reflect on the possibilities of multilateral initiatives, security arrangements, and strategic partnerships. The inaugural session set the stage for the two-day event for discussions on the possibilities of cooperation between India and the EU in the Indo-Pacific region to balance trade-dominated relations with geoeconomic and strategic interests along with addressing climate change, biodiversity conservation, and quality healthcare.
The session was presided over by Vice Chancellor, MAHE, Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, who observed the key role of universities in nurturing and engaging young minds to develop international relations and strategies. Fellow panelist, Ms. Simran Dhingra, Head of International Cooperation at KAS, underscored the imperative to bolster India-EU ties on issues of maritime security, defense partnerships, and counter-terrorism, especially since India is being increasingly perceived as a key actor in the Indian Ocean. Prof Neeta Inamdar, Head of the Manipal Center for European Studies (MCES), welcomed the gathering and further remarked, “I hope cooperation becomes the intent of this conference, and we can all look forward to what we can change to make the world a better place”. Prof K P Vijayalakshmi, Head of DGIR, concluded the event with a vote of thanks.
The conference hosts close to thirty delegates from across India and Europe. The sessions over the two days will deliberate on the strategic opportunities and challenges for improving regional cooperation in the Indo-Pacific focusing on issues such as trade and connectivity, climate change, healthcare infrastructure, technological innovation and growth, maritime security, and educational and cultural cooperation.
