Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the rise of serious threats such as terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking and climate change have thrown new challenges for the Indo-Pacific region.
Addressing the Inaugural session of Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2021 through video conferencing, Mr Singh said the nature of these challenges in the region has considerable trans-national implications which require a cooperative response. He stressed the need to find a convergence of interests and commonality of purpose on maritime issues.
The Minister said India is committed to respecting the rights of all nations as laid down in the UN Convention on the Law of Seas.
The Minister said India is fully determined to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the country in relation to our territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone while supporting the maintenance of rule-based maritime systems.
He said the seas are a vital communication link to facilitate the transport of goods, exchange of ideas, catalyse innovations, and bring the world closer.
Courtesy: AIR
