The sixth South Asia Security Conference on ‘Key Challenges and Opportunities’ took place on 10-12 of February 2006 in Muscat, Oman. The conference successfully brought together 40 senior officials and experts from India and Pakistan, along with a small number of Canadian, US and UK participants to discuss regional security issues in an off-the-record and informal setting.
Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill, IISS Executive Committee Member and former US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address, emphasising that South Asian security would not be insulated from global instability in this extremely dangerous year. The following session brought out key trouble spots in the region, including developments in neighbouring Afghanistan, the slowly failing state in Nepal, the ‘dark area’ of Myanmar, a drifting Bangladesh, and a fragile Sri Lanka.
On India-Pakistan Relations there was a sense of cautious optimism. The ceasefire is holding, incremental Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) constitute progress, and people-to-people contacts have intensified. But, despite a better atmosphere and the diplomatic opportunity afforded by the devastating earthquake, questions remain over Kashmir, infiltration and violence, and developments on Pakistan’s Western frontier border.
While there was unanimity on the good fortune that the region is now not seen as a nuclear ‘flashpoint’, the seriousness of nuclear war provides no room for complacency. There are many steps that can be taken to stabilise India and Pakistan, and these can only be taken prior to a crisis. US-India civil nuclear cooperation was singled out for special attention by both sides. The energy deficit as the most important economic challenge was also discussed.
The conference further addressed the growing importance of maritime security and stability of shipping routes. Security and stability in international shipping lanes in and around the Indian Ocean ties together a wide variety of hard and soft security issues, from the proliferation of nuclear material, to small arms and toxic waste spills, to disaster assistance and increased tanker and oil traffic. Both India and Pakistan could do more to bolster cooperation in these areas.
Participants included, among others, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK; Lt. General Asad Durrani (retd.), former Director General of ISI; Ambassador M.K. Rasgotra , Convenor of the Indian National Security Advisory Board and General V.P. Malik, former Chief of Army Staff, India.
Field Marshall The Lord Inge, former UK Chief of Defence Staff, and Mr John Cocknell, Senior Policy advisor, Foreign Affairs, Canada, chaired conference sessions. Vice-Admiral Patrick M Walsh, Commander, US Naval Forces Central Command and Commander, US 5th Fleet also participated.
Two senior officials from the Sultanate of Oman, Ambassador Abdullah Mohammed Al Dahab, Chief of the Asia Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Talib Meran Al Raisi, Chief of the Department of International Organisations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended as observers.
The IISS was strongly represented by its Director-General Dr John Chipman, along with Dr Patrick Cronin, Director of Studies; Sir Micahel Quinlan, Consulting Senior Fellow; Sir Hilary Synnott, Consulting Senior Fellow for South Asia and Mr Mark Fitzpatrick, Senior Fellow for Non-Proliferation.
The conference was organised by Mr Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, IISS Research Fellow for South Asia with support from Ms Kathleen James, IISS Events and Media Relations Manager.
