KV Prasad
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 5
India’s announcement proposing an Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative at the East Asia Summit takes forward its Indo-Pacific vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Shangri La Dialogue last year.
In the wake of New Delhi’s decision to keep away from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), PM Modi’s idea at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok on Monday received lesser attention it deserved since it remains significant in the geo-strategic context amid rising concerns over activities by China in the region, especially the South China Sea.
Woven into the initiative with a broad objective of utilising it in a sustainable manner, making meaningful efforts to create a “safe, secure and stable’ maritime domain has several elements. These include creating partnerships among interested states in areas such as increasing maritime security, preserving and sustainably using marine resources, capacity-building, disaster prevention and management; and finally working together in trade and maritime transport.
While Thailand, the current Chair of ASEAN, welcomed the initiative and said it looks forward to discussing it, Australia, a major supporter of greater Indian role in both Indo-Pacific and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, indicated it is interested to work along with India.
The announcement came around the time India continued with its official-level quadrilateral dialogue with the US, Japan and Australia on the sidelines of the summit in Bangkok, exchanging views on the ongoing and additional practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development.
The discussions also included those relating to security aimed at promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.
Revived in 2017, the Quad remained an official-level engagement until its upgrade this September when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took part in the deliberations with his counterparts on the sidelines of the UN Summit at New York.
At the Bangkok meeting, the four countries “underscored their intent to continue regular consultations including at the ministerial level…”
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/33mYSfg
via Today’s News Headlines
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