Security challenges do not respect borders and need to be tackled through effective partnerships at the regional level, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said in a veiled reference to Pakistan.
The country’s top diplomat said nurturing a climate of peace in the Indian Ocean region is the “cornerstone” of India’s foreign policy, and it is working with like-minded countries to preserve the inviolability and security of maritme domain.
Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session of the second Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meeting of experts for maritime safety and security yesterday, Jaishankar noted that India conducts 40 per cent of its trade with littoral states along the IOR and it supports “freedom of navigation, over-flight and unimpeded commerce”.
He also advocated resolution of maritime disputes through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an oblique reference to the South China Sea where China is flexing its military muscle despite an international tribunal verdict going against it
