Monday, September 5 2005 17:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kozhikode: Asserting that India's future international trade and energy supplies will remain dependent on vital sea lines of communication, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash today (Sept 5, 2005) said attention should therefore be paid to matters relating to maritime interests.

'The maritime domain is playing a significant role in our renaissance and there should be no doubt in anyone's mind today that India needs to pay particular attention to matters relating to our maritime interests,' he said delivering a special address at the one-day national seminar on 'India 2020 - Maritime Perspectives,' organised under the aegis of the Chair for Maritime Studies, Calicut University here.

Be it the merchant marine, fishing industry, offshore oil and gas production or deep sea mining, he said the country would have to turn more and more towards the seas as a repository of resources and food.

Noting that India had been described as the world's fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, the Admiral said the country's vast and vibrant population, which used to be considered a handicap only a few years ago, had now emerged as a tremendous advantage.

'Our geographic location, particularly in the maritime context, puts us at centre-stage in today's strategic scenario, dominated by needs of energy, security and terrorism concerns,' he said.