- Staff Reporter / NEW DELHI
In an oblique message to China, India today expressed concern over “actions and incidents” that “erode” trust in the South China Sea, and underlined the importance of adhering to international law, respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty.
In an address at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS), External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also talked about the Indo-Pacific and noted the growing interest in the region as an integrated and organic maritime space with 10-nation ASEAN at its centre.
On South China Sea, EAM expressed concern about actions and incidents that erode trust in the region. He stated that the Code of Conduct negotiations should not be prejudicial to legitimate interests of third parties and should be fully consistent with UNCLOS. He also underlined the need for greater international cooperation in the post-COVID world to tackle the challenges cutting across national boundaries such as terrorism, climate change, pandemics etc.
The Summit was chaired by Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc in his capacity as ASEAN Chair. All the eighteen East Asia Summit countries participated in the virtual Summit.
Dr Jaishankar in his remarks, re-affirmed the importance of East Asia Summit as the Leaders-led forum to exchange views on strategic issues. He spoke of the importance of adhering to international law, respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty, and promoting a rules-based global order.
On COVID-19, he briefed the East Asia Summit Leaders about India’s response to pandemic and highlighted India’s efforts to support the international community. He reiterated Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to help make the COVID vaccine accessible and affordable to all nations.
The External Affairs Minister noted the growing interest in the Indo-Pacific as an integrated and organic maritime space, with ASEAN at its centre. He appreciated the synergy between the ASEAN Outlook and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. India was equally positive about the Indo-Pacific policies announced recently by other nations. Harmonizing various perspectives would never be a challenge if there is commitment to international cooperation.
The Summit discussed ways to strengthen the East Asia Summit platform and to make it more responsive to emerging challenges on its 15th anniversary and adopted the Ha Noi Declaration. The Leaders underlined the importance of cooperation in ensuring safe, effective and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines. They called for greater cooperation in keeping the global supply chains open for an expeditious and sustainable economic recovery. Regional and international issues such as South China Sea, situation in Korean peninsula and Rakhine state were also discussed. Besides Ha Noi Declaration, the Summit also adopted four other Leaders’ Statements on Marine Sustainability, Epidemics Prevention and Response, Women, Peace and Security, and Steady Growth of Regional Economy.