Underlining a “collective desire for restoration of peace and stability in West Asia and Eurasia as soon as possible”, PM Modi iterated that “solutions cannot be found in battlefields”, and that India, in fulfilling its responsibilities as a “vishwabandhu”, would continue to make every effort to contribute to peace efforts.
“I come from the land of Buddha, and I have repeatedly said this is not the age of war.It’s essential to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and international laws,” he said while addressing the East Asia Summit in Laos Friday.
In a message to Asean countries amid growing Chinese assertiveness, Modi said the region’s approach should be focused on development and not expansionism. He said a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific is crucial for progress of the entire region, and peace, security and stability in South China Sea are in the interest of Indo-Pacific region.
Most countries affected by raging conflicts are from Global South: PM Modi
We believe that maritime activities should be conducted in accordance with UNCLOS. Ensuring freedom of navigation and airspace is essential. A robust and effective Code of Conduct should be developed. And, it should not impose restrictions on the foreign policies of regional countries, said PM Modi.
Calling for concerted action against terrorism, he said the menace poses a serious challenge to global peace and security. “To combat it, forces that believe in humanity must come together & work in tandem. And, we must strengthen mutual cooperation in the areas of cyber, maritime, and space,” he said. While endorsing Asean’s approach to Myanmar, Modi said India believes it is crucial to sustain humanitarian assistance and implement suitable measures for the restoration of democracy.
“We believe that, Myanmar should be engaged rather than isolated in this process. As a neighbouring country, India will continue to uphold its responsibilities. Friends, the most negatively affected countries, due to ongoing conflicts in various parts of the world, are those from Global South,” he said, adding India has consistently supported the unity and centrality of Asean that is also pivotal to India’s Indo-Pacific vision and Quad cooperation.
Underlining the severe impact of conflicts on Global South, PM highlighted that the path of dialogue and diplomacy based on a humanitarian approach must be adopted for peaceful resolution of conflicts in the world.