An International Seapower Symposium was held in New Port, Rhode Island, under the aegis of the US Naval War College recently. The theme of the 20th edition of the symposium was “Security and Prosperity through Maritime Partnerships.” More than 110 nations, with 75 heads of Navy and 22 heads of Coast Guard, attended the symposium.

The Chief of the Indian Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma drew the attention of the world leaders of navies and coast guards on the need for united action against piracy. Admiral Verma said: “The international efforts towards combating piracy would benefit if there were fewer disparate task forces and independent naval operations. India’s relative autonomy of efforts towards combating piracy off Somalia can be traced to its preference for a UN mandated operations which we believe if adopted would holistically enhance the efficacy of operations.”