Dr. S Jaishankar. Credit PTI
In a veiled attack on China, India stated on Wednesday that a multilateral rules-based international order, coupled with sincere respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity remained the foundation for reviving the Indian Ocean as a strong community.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the 23rd Council of Ministers Meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), that it is important to keep the Indian Ocean as a free, open, and inclusive space based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) as the Constitution of the Seas.
“We will continue our approach of contributing to building capacity and secure safety and security in the Indian Ocean region, including as first responder and a net security provider”, Jaishankar said as India accepted the Vice-Chair role of IORA for 2023-25 at the meeting.
Jaishankar went on to say, “A multilateral rules-based international order, along with sincere respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity remains the foundation for reviving the Indian Ocean as a strong community”.
Mr. Jaishankar stated that in the resurgence of Asia, and global rebalancing, the Indian Ocean plays an important role in the development and prosperity of the littoral nations by supporting trade and sustaining livelihoods, while also offering immense opportunities for connectivity and resource utilization.
“It is the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘the world is one family’ which can be a binding force to bring the IORA Member States together”, he went on to explain.
According to Jaishankar, India’s priorities are clear as the vice chair and a member of the Troika.
“It is our effort to develop an Indian Ocean community that is stable and prosperous, strong and resilient, and which is able to cooperate closely within and to respond to happenings beyond the ocean”, he continued.
“It is thus important to maintain the Indian Ocean as a free, open, and inclusive space based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), as the Constitution of the Seas”, he said, adding that the spirit of 1971, to which his Sri Lankan colleague to guide our outlook, discouraging any hidden agendas to the contrary.
China has been flexing its muscles in the strategically important region and it is also embroiled in bitter territorial conflicts in both the South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS).
Developmental challenges, a lack of solid connection, the burden of opaque and unsustainable debt generated by unviable projects, threats to the social fabric posed by extremism and fundamentalism, dangers posed by terrorism, natural disasters, and climate change, are all challenges that we face, according to Jaishankar.
“As the Vice-Chair for the next two years, India, the ‘Vishwa mitra’ or the world’s friend, a voice of the Global South, will work with IORA Member States to strengthen the institutional, financial and legal framework of IORA, towards realizing the true potential of this dynamic grouping”, Jaishankar added.
“As a coordinating country, he stated that India’s specific focus will be on Maritime Safety and security and the Blue Economy. India will also contribute to other priorities and cross-cutting areas as needed”, he continued.
Jaishankar is one of the 16 ministers who will attend the summit, which will also include the foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Iran, Mauritius, Malaysia, and South Africa.
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