Menon, Shiv Shankar

Abstract
Admiral Arun Prakash, Chairman, National Maritime Foundation (NMF), Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Admiral Tahiliani, Commodore Uday Bhaskar, Director, NMF, ladies, gentlemen and friends. Thank you for asking me to speak to you on the maritime imperatives of Indian foreign policy. Since its establishment, the Foundation has done remarkable work to raise awareness and promote a discussion of India’s maritime destiny. This has not been easy in a country which has developed continental fixations, despite having maritime boundaries longer than it has on land. It is an honour and a privilege to speak to you on this subject.
I will not try to tell an audience of your eminence and knowledge what you know better than me, namely, how important the ocean is to India’s future. Our maritime policies will be one of the major determinants of success or failure in our attempt to transform India into a modern, plural, open, advanced country that is both secure and prosperous. What I will like to do here is to dwell on what our maritime imperatives are and how they are reflected in our foreign policy. In the process, we might look at some relevant issues and developments, suggest elements for a suitable strategy and attempt a brief prognosis for the immediate future.
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