New Delhi, 4 Oct: India has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution to disputes and has sought to promote cooperation among nations in the Indo-Pacific, with a strong emphasis on the centrality of EAN, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.
\nHis remarks come amid China\u2019s increasing military muscle-flexing in the region.
\nIn his address at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2024 here, he also expressed concern over \u201ccertain attempts to monopolise and weaponise critical resources for strategic reasons\u201d, terming these tendencies as not conducive for the global good.
\nSingh emphasised that India\u2019s engagement with its partners is guided by the understanding that true progress can only be achieved through collective action and synergy, and due to these efforts, it is now considered as a \u201ccredible and preferred security partner and first responder\u201d in the region.
\n\u201cIndia\u2019s vision for the Indo-Pacific is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s idea of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) as we believe in fostering partnerships that prioritise sustainable development, economic growth and mutual security,\u201d he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Defence Ministry.
\nHe underscored peaceful coexistence and comity among nations, and drew upon the ancient Indian philosophy of humankind\u2019s symbiotic existence in harmony with nature as a way ahead in the exploration and management of marine resources.
\nSingh reiterated India\u2019s unwavering resolve to a rule-based international order, respect for international law and adherence to the principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, describing them as the \u201ccornerstones of foreign policy\u201d.
\n\u201cIndia has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution to disputes and has sought to promote cooperation among nations in the Indo-Pacific, with a strong emphasis on the centrality ofEAN in fostering regional dialogue, stability and collective growth,\u201d he said.
\nThe minister also underscored India\u2019s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the vital international maritime routes.
\nThe engagement with regional partners, including joint exercises and information-sharing initiatives, is aimed at strengthening the collective maritime security framework, he added.
\nSingh underlined that the Indian armed forces, especially the Navy, has been at the forefront of cooperative endeavours with countries of the region, and are continuously working towards building their capacity and capabilities.
\n\u201cWhile India\u2019s endeavour for maritime cooperation continues, its interests are not in conflict with any other country. At the same time, interests of any other nation should not come in conflict with other nations. This is the spirit in which we must work together,\u201d he added.
\nThe defence minister pointed out that the rapidly evolving global maritime landscape is shaped by shifting power dynamics, resource competition and emerging security threats.
\nHe added the emergence of the Indo-Pacific theatre reflects a visible balancing of global power. (PTI)
\n\u201cThe Indo-Pacific region has emerged as the world\u2019s most dynamic geopolitical zone and is the centre of gravity of the economic and strategic interests. It also carries a degree of pre-existing international tension, rivalry and conflict,\u201d the minister said.
\nWhile some challenges are of local nature, many challenges have global ramifications, he underlined.
\n\u201cWith respect to marine resources, we are witnessing a significant increase in geopolitical competition. As populations continue to grow, the demand for marine resources has surged, leading to heightened tensions and competition among nations,\u201d he added.
\nSharing insights on the subject of \u2018global commons\u2019, the natural resources such as the ocean, outer space, climate, clean air, etc., which is shared by all of humanity, Singh said these are essential to maintain a sustainable planet.
\nHe stressed on the need to create a balance of competing interests, which can offer numerous ecological, economic and social benefits transcending national boundaries.
\nSingh also touched on the concept of \u2018tragedy of the commons\u2019, a scenario where individuals, acting in their own self-interest, deplete shared resources, leading to collective ruin.
\nHe termed it as a \u201clooming threat\u201d, which can only be dealt with if the international community comes together and acts swiftly for sustainable management of shared global commons.
\n\u201cEvidence of this tragedy, including environmental degradation, over-extraction of certain resources, and increasing geopolitical tensions is already visible. We are witnessing localised incidents of conflict and a wider undercurrent of international tension in recent years,\u201d said Singh.
\n\u201cAs the world transforms from an industrial world to a technological world, from a fossil fuel-based economy to renewables, this threat is only going to increase, unless we take pre-emptive steps to control possible damage,\u201d he added.
\nIn his address, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi emphasised the relevance of the oceanic spaces, specifically the Indo-Pacific, for India\u2019s economic growth and security.
\nStressing that India\u2019s maritime policy of SAGAR envisioned collective prosperity and security for all in the region, he advocated collaboration and cooperation as the principal means to achieve this end-state.
\nSingh also released a book titled \u2018Maritime India: Temporal and Spatial Continuum\u2019, published by the National Maritime Foundation (NMF).
\nChief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan; Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi; IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh; Chairman, NMF Admiral Karambir Singh (retd); DG, NMF Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (retd); senior officials of the ministry, foreign delegates and representatives of think-tanks of India and abroad attended the event.
\nThe IPRD is an annual apex-level regional strategic dialogue of the Indian Navy which aims to sequentially flesh out the seven spokes of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
\nThis year, the three-day conference opened on a vibrant and intellectually stimulating note on October 3. Through its central theme of \u2018Resource-Geopolitics and Security in the Indo-Pacific\u2019, this year\u2019s conference focuses on \u2018Marine Resources\u2019 and \u2018Maritime Security\u2019 pillars of IPOI.
\nThe IPRD-2024 is being organised by the Indian Navy in association with NMF as its knowledge partner. (PTI)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New Delhi, 4 Oct: India has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution to disputes and has sought to promote cooperation among nations in the Indo-Pacific, with a strong emphasis on the centrality of EAN, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday. His remarks come amid China\u2019s increasing military muscle-flexing in the region. In his address […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-249861","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-national"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249861"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249861\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}