Philippines Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) signed a collaborative agreement with the Critical Maritime Routes in the Indian Ocean project (CRIMARIO II), funded by the European Union concerning the use of the Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) platform – a neutral and secure, web-based maritime coordination and information sharing tool for national and regional multi-agency use.
Under the agreement, the Coast Guard and MARINA will have access to IORIS functionalities and satellite services in exchange for effective and regular use of the platform.
Participating in the event, Dr Ana Isabel Sanchez Ruiz, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to the Philippines said: “Through the Critical Maritime Routes project (CRIMARIO) and the Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS), the EU has been building maritime capacity of partners in the Indo-Pacific, so that they can better address threats to maritime safety and security, respond to disasters, protect the marine environment and manage fish stocks sustainably.”
“The EU and the Philippines share a vision of the Indo-Pacific as a space of peace, stability and prosperity. Contributing to ocean governance and maritime security through cooperation with partners in the region is one of the pillars of this shared vision.”, she added.
In the words of Martin Cauchi Inglott, CRIMARIO II project director: “We welcome MARINA and the Philippine Coast Guard that formally join the IORIS community, which as of today counts more than 40 civilian and military agencies from over 20 countries across the Indo-Pacific, from the Western Indian Ocean, through Asia and Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Ocean. IORIS will support both organisations in implementing their mandate, providing a framework to exchange operational information, and connecting in real-time domestic and international stakeholders to address the evolving challenges in the maritime domain”.
