Munmun Kaur
Published On: February 23, 2022 at 11:33 IST
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took a jibe at China and remarked that the Indo-Pacific is at the heart of ongoing efforts aimed at achieving multi-polarity and rebalancing of powers, including respect for international Law and territorial integrity.
The remarks were made while addressing the opening session of the European Union (EU) Ministerial forum on Indo-Pacific in Paris. Besides Jaishankar, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Jaishankar and his counterparts from Cambodia and Indonesia, Prak Sokhonn and Retno Marsudi addressed the session.
Jaishankar said that although the Indo-Pacific was going through contemporary changes, it is essential that greater power and stronger capabilities lead to responsibility and restraint. Further elaborating, he said, “This means, above all, respect for international law, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. It means economics free of coercion and politics free from the threat of the use of force. It means observing global norms and practices, and refraining from making claims on the global commons”.
Although Jaishankar refrained from naming any particular nation per se, it was quite apparent that the remarks were directed at China given its aggressive actions across the Indo-Pacific – from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India to the South China Sea which has contributed to an increase in tensions.
In his speech, he welcomed and appreciated European Union’s commitment to contribute to the security of the Indo-Pacific, and said that the collective efforts can keep the oceans peaceful, open, and secure, and, at the same time, contribute to conserving its resources and keep it clean.
Although he did not address the Ukraine crisis in his speech, he did put up a point that the forum was being organized by Europe “In the midst of a serious crisis in your own region”.
He also appreciated the fact that the EU’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific is also consistent with India’s vision of a free, open, balanced, and inclusive region, anchored in ASEAN centrality and that countries with shared values and vision can better ensure a regional culture of working together.