Indian Ocean region strategic review

(a) Statement of policy It shall be the policy of the United States that as part of its broader Indo-Pacific engagement strategy, the United States shall strengthen engagement with Indian Ocean region countries, including governments, civil society, academia, and private sectors, and to enhance United States and allied presence and partnerships through the following actions: (1) Promoting cohesive political ties via regional organizations and stronger bilateral diplomacy. (2) Deepening the bilateral security relationship with India, including enhanced intelligence sharing, military communication, and naval cooperation. (3) Engaging India to operationalize regional economic and political opportunities. (4) Expanding economic connectivity and commercial exchange with Indian Ocean region countries. (5) Ensuring freedom of navigation and unimpeded access to regional trade routes consistent with international law. (6) Addressing maritime security threats including piracy and illegal fishing through joint cooperation. (7) Supporting regional capacity to respond to environmental disasters and build resilient infrastructure. (8) Strengthening maritime domain awareness and security through cooperation with allies and partners. (9) Advancing coordination with allies and partners—including Japan, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and France—to uphold a rules-based order. (10) Assessing resources and tools needed for sustained United States diplomatic and economic engagement. (b) Strategy The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall develop a strategy to enhance United States, allied, and partner presence, influence, and access in the Indian Ocean region. The strategy shall include— (1) an identification of the political, economic, and security goals and opportunities of the United States in the Indian Ocean region; (2) an explanation of the political, economic, and security goals of Indian Ocean region countries and a detailed description of areas with respect to which such interests align with the goals of the United States; (3) a list that details the economic and political efforts of the People’s Republic of China with respect to the Indian Ocean region, particularly with respect to the engagement by the People’s Republic of China with each country located within the Indian Ocean region; (4) a description and analysis of challenges, including countries and specific projects, to the engagement with Indian Ocean region countries as a result of— (A) disparate policy goals across the departments and agencies of the United States Government; and (B) disparate definitions of the term Indian Ocean region; (5) a list that details efforts to improve cooperation between the United States and Australia, India, and Japan (commonly referred to as the Quadrilateral Dialogue or Quad and referred to as such in this section), through coordination between members of the Quad with respect to diplomacy and development priorities, joint military exercises and operations, and other activities that promote and balance the political, economic, and security interests of the United States with respect to Indian Ocean region countries; (6) an overview of efforts to support the economic connectivity and development of island countries located within the Indian Ocean region, including through the United States-India-Japan Trilateral Infrastructure Working Group, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, and other efforts to expand and enhance connectivity across the Indo-Pacific region (including with the countries of Southeast Asia) that maintain high standards of investment and support for civil society and people-to-people connectivity; (7) a description of how the United States may engage with regional intergovernmental organizations and multilateral organizations, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the United Nations, to promote the political, economic, and security goals of the United States in the Indian Ocean region; (8) a description of how the United States may facilitate cooperation between Indian Ocean region countries (including with the governments, civil society, academia, and private sectors of such countries) and Taiwan, through Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy; (9) a review of the diplomatic posture of the United States in the Indian Ocean region, including— (A) an assessment of the diplomatic engagement by the United States with Indian Ocean region countries without a permanent United States embassy or diplomatic mission; (B) an assessment of means by which to improve cooperation by the United States with the Maldives, the Seychelles, and Comoros; (C) an assessment of the sufficiency of United States diplomatic personnel and facilities available in the Indian Ocean region to achieve United States policy in such region; (D) a description of any fiscal or personnel resources required to fill identified gaps with respect to such diplomatic posture; and (E) a description of the bilateral and multilateral diplomatic goals of the Department that the Secretary deems necessary to achieve United States policy in the Indian Ocean region; (10) a review of the agreements entered into between the United States and Indian Ocean region countries for the purpose of facilitating the military operations of the United States pursuant to bilateral and multilateral agreements and a description of any efforts to expand the naval and coast guard cooperation of the United States with India and other Indian Ocean region countries through the negotiation of additional agreements; (11) a strategy for the provision of United States security assistance to the governments of Indian Ocean region countries, including a summary of the security priorities, objectives, and actions of the prospective recipient country and a description of the means by which the United States may support such security priorities, objectives, and actions while promoting the political, economic, and security goals of the United States in the Indian Ocean region; (12) a security assistance assessment of the capabilities, training, and funding needed for countries in the region to push back against shared challenges in the region; and (13) a plan to expand the foreign assistance presence of the United States with respect to the governments of island countries located within the Indian Ocean region, including a description of any resources or policy tools required to expand the ability of the United States to offer high-quality infrastructure resiliency projects to such countries. (c) Inclusion The strategy required by subsection (b) may be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees as a part of any other strategy relating to the Indo-Pacific region. (d) Report Not later than July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter for two years, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the strategy required by subsection (b).