EAM Jaishankar said countries with shared values and vision could better ensure a regional culture of working together. He also said the EU could also promote economic development, infrastructure, connectivity, digital transformation, and climate change with its economic heft and expertise.
New Delhi: India on Tuesday, Feb 22, yet again welcomed the European Union's commitment to contribute to the security of the Indo-Pacific region and at the same time counselled that in the contemporary setting, "distance is no insulation".
"Today, we see challenges with the clarity that proximity brings. And believe me, distance is no insulation. The issues we confront in the Indo-Pacific will extend beyond, even to Europe. We, therefore, welcome the EU's commitment to contribute to the security of the region," External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said in his remarks at the Opening Session of the EU Ministerial Forum on Indo-Pacific.
He said this remains a maritime century, and hence the tides of the Indo-Pacific region will certainly help shape its future. "Our collective efforts can keep the oceans peaceful, open and secure, and, at the same time, contribute to conserve its resources and keep it clean," he said.
The External Affairs Minister said the EU could also promote economic development, infrastructure, connectivity, digital transformation, and climate change with its economic heft and expertise.
"India appreciates the enormous contribution that Europe can make to shaping world affairs. Its considered voice and mature capabilities are key to the emergence of a multipolar world. Through our annual Summits, we have greatly enhanced the EU-India strategic partnership. The Indo Pacific will certainly be an important arena for its expression," he maintained.
France was among the first countries in the world to recognise this strategic geography, he pointed out. "It is, of course, a resident power in the Indo-Pacific. And by extension, so too is the European Union," Dr Jaishankar remarked.
"The values they espouse and the practices they follow are no less significant. The Indo-Pacific is at the heart of the multipolarity and
rebalancing that characterises contemporary changes," the Minister said.
However, he also said it is essential that greater power and stronger capabilities lead to responsibility and restraint. "This means, above all, respect for international law, territorial integrity and sovereignty. It means economics free of coercion and politics free from the threat or the use of force. It means observing global norms and practices. And refraining from making claims on the global commons," Dr Jaishankar said.
He further said countries with shared values and vision could better ensure a regional culture of working together. "One in which all nations, irrespective of size, have sovereign options and make their own choices. That is the essence of our shared endeavours. EU's strategy is consistent with India's vision of a free, open, balanced and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, anchored in ASEAN centrality, as outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Singapore in 2018," he added.
India's approach is broad-based and emphasises multilateralism, pluralism and collective action. "These are combined in the Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative launched by Prime Minister Modi at the East Asia Summit in 2019. We are pleased that France, Australia, Indonesia and Japan chair one pillar each. We hope others too will step forward," added Jaishankar.
