PTI
Manila
Calling for dialogue and diplomacy to end the West Asia conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said international waterways must remain safe and unimpeded, and attacks on seafarers cannot be condoned.
He was speaking at the 21st East Asia Summit (EAS) in the Philippine capital Manila. “India stresses that international waterways must remain safe and unimpeded, fully in consonance with international law,” Jaishankar said, adding that under no circumstances could attacks on seafarers, civilian shipping or infrastructure be countenanced.
His comments come at a time when several Indian seafarers have been killed in strikes and many rescued, as commercial vessels have been attacked amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
Fourteen Indians have died in the West Asia conflict since it began following the US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28. “The world economy is today reeling under the impact of multiple conflicts; energy, food and health security cannot be taken for granted, especially by the Global South,” Jaishankar said.
He said that the global order is uncertain and volatile, where interdependence and common interests co-exist.
On the South China Sea, Jaishankar said India supports the conclusion of a “substantive, effective and legally binding code of conduct, compliant with UNCLOS 1982, that does not prejudice the legitimate rights of all users”.
Calling for a “political solution” to the Myanmar issue, Jaishankar said India continues to support the ASEAN efforts. He also demanded collective action against cyber scam centres, which he said have victimised Indian nationals in significant numbers.
Calling for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine for lasting peace, Jaishankar said, “India has made notable relief and rehabilitation contributions and is a top emerging donor of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).”
He also underlined India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality, regional stability and the realisation of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
The East Asia Summit is a regional forum held annually by leaders of East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian and Oceanian regions.
Since its establishment, EAS meetings are held after the annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings. ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan and Australia, are its dialogue partners.
