NORMATIVE POWERS IN MARITIME AFFAIRS: INDIA-EU COOPERATION IN THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION

Abstract

The aim of the article is to explore how the European union (Eu) and india have developed their activities in maritime affairs, trying to boost their cooperation . The challenge for both the Eu and india has been to acknowledge each other’s role sin maritime affairs in the indian ocean region (ior) as a facilitator of good practices in maritime governance as well as an important ally in securing the strategic lanes of Communication . The main hypothesis of the article is that both the Eu and india are normative powers in maritime affairs and have not yet created synergy in their activities . The growing feeling of disappointment among many countries in asia and Europe with the Belt and road initiative might be used to introduce a joint Eu-india program covering the same strategic intercontinental maritime lanes similar to the recent India-Japan initiative of the asia-africa Growth Corridor . The convergence of strategic interests of the Eu and india can be materialized in the most democratic and beneficial way for both