NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asserted that India advocates a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region and calls for peaceful resolution of disputes.
“The ongoing ASEAN-China negotiations on the code of conduct in the South China Sea should be fully consistent with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and should not prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of nations that are not party to these discussions,” Singh said.
He was speaking at the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of India-ASEAN relations. Singh also called for urgent and resolute global efforts to counter transnational and cross-border terrorism.
He pointed out that the global security environment has transformed fundamentally over the last few decades, with terrorist groups creating interlinkages across continents backed by new-age technologies to propagate ideologies, transfer money and recruit supporters.