New Delhi: With China in focus in the wake of the ongoing border tension with that country, Indian External Affairs Ministry has brought under one umbrella its Indo-Pacific and ASEAN insurance policies creating a brand new vertical, which features a new Oceania territorial division with Australia at its centre, together with the Indo-Pacific and ASEAN divisions inside it.

Primarily, the transfer is meant to align insurance policies within the area stretching from western Pacific (with the Pacific islands) to the Andaman Sea and the very space China regards as its strategic yard and is jostling for affect with its smaller neighbours and the US. By focusing administrative and diplomatic consideration, India desires to sign its personal concentrate on the area.

Reenat Sandhu, Secretary, MEA and previously India’s ambassador to Italy, will head the brand new vertical, assisted by two senior administrators, Geetika Srivastava and Paulomi Tripathi. The geopolitical sweep and messaging is vital because it signifies India’s priorities over an extended timescape as it assumes importance in the wake of heightened army tensions with China.

The Oceania division will embrace Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands and sources stated this provides Australia higher prominence inside MEA. Australia has been rising in significance in India’s international coverage, however throughout the MEA construction, it was a part of the ‘South’ division. With the rejig, Australia will get bumped as much as be dealt with by an extra secretary.

This was felt to be essential with Australia taking part in a bigger position in India’s outreach to this area and due to the Quad. Together with the Pacific islands within the division, sources stated, acknowledge them as additionally being inside Australia’s sphere of affect. These islands are actually a significant vacation spot for Indian diplomatic curiosity and improvement help.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla has continued to sharpen MEA’s strategy to this significant area in Indian international coverage. In 2019, former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale created the Indo-Pacific division to incorporate Asean, Quad and Indian Ocean Rim Affiliation. Earlier, the MEA had created the Indian Ocean division, bringing collectively Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. In late 2019, MEA included Madagascar, Comoros and Reunion Islands into the IOR division, increasing its ambit.