The fourth edition of the Goa Maritime Symposium (GMS) is being conducted by the Naval War College (NWC) at Goa from 31 Oct to 01 Nov 2022. The participants of the Symposium comprise Captains/ Commanders and equivalent-rank officers from Navies/ Maritime forces from friendly foreign countries viz., Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, besides India.

Conceptualised and instituted by the Indian Navy in 2016, the GMS is a forum for fostering collaborative thinking, cooperation and mutual understanding between India and key maritime nations of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The symposium is conducted biennially by the NWC, Goa, and three editions of the event have been organised thus far. The Symposium will be inaugurated by Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, Commandant, Naval War College.

With the IOR becoming the focus of the 21^st Century strategic landscape, the Symposium plays a constructive role in bringing together stakeholders for evolving policies, strategies and implementation mechanisms for comprehensive security in the maritime domain. The theme of GMS-2022 is “Maritime Security Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region: Converting Common Maritime Priorities into Collaborative Mitigation Frameworks”. The theme is underpinned by the idea of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR) and five principles of Maritime Security enunciated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, which imply that the prosperity of our region is interlinked with the maritime fate of all IOR littorals.

Nestled in the lush green environs of North Goa, the venue for the Symposium is also a fitting tribute to Goa’s rich maritime heritage, which dates back to the 2^nd Century BCE. With such ties to the past and the aspiration for new vistas in the future, the venue will add a unique flavour to the GMS-2022 deliberations.

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VM/JSN