Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj took an indirect swipe at China’s Belt and Road Initiative saying such projects are used as methods of dominance and called for transparent lending practices based on recognised international norms.
Addressing the third edition of the Indian Ocean conference in Hanoi on Monday night, Swaraj described India’s approach on connectivity projects and maritime initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region as based on inter-dependence rather than dominance or narrow reciprocal considerations.
“We support responsible and transparent debt f inancing matched by responsible lending practises. We understand that following universally recognized international norms, transparency, openness, financial responsibility, and promoting a sense of local ownership are essential for better and more sustainable development outcomes,” the minister emphasised in an indirect dig at BRI.
Swaraj in her speech referred to slew of initiatives that India has undertaken in the Indo-Pacific region including Indian Ocean Region and ASEAN by taking countries on board from maritime security, sustainable development, disaster management and the development of Blue Economy.
“In all these engagements, we are guided by the development and security priorities of our partners… We are helping our maritime neighbours set up their coastal surveillance networks for developing shared Maritime Domain Awareness. We have signed White Shipping Agreements with a number of countries. In addition, our ships have undertaken coordinated patrolling and EEZ Surveillance on the request of our partners. Another element of ensuring safety of navigation in the IOR has been the hydrographic support provided to our partners,” Swaraj said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The minister also called for building an overarching vision for the Indian Ocean region in an inclusive fashion.
“Prime Minister Modi recently spoke of his vision of a free and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The Indian Ocean is a central component of this free and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The Indian Ocean is a region where some of the largest and smallest nations of the world have coexisted in harmony. The harmony is not only because of economic or cultural commonalities, but also of ideological and civilizational commonalities.”
“…This region cannot be only a growth-engine; it has to be a community of ideas and commitments. We have to commit to the ideas of a rule-based order, equality under international law, peaceful resolution of disputes, and equitable distribution of the benefits of globalization,” Swaraj noted as she also highlighted significance of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for peaceful resolution of disputes in seas.
The conference had participation from several countries in Indo-Pacific region, including USA & China.
