External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar (left) with Sri Lankan Presdient Gotabaya Rajapaksa at 5th Indian Ocean conference in Abu Dhabi.
Photo: Twitter/ Dr S Jaishankar
Speaking at an international conference, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that it is important to ensure, respect, and facilitate freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce.
Jaishankar was at the fifth Indian Ocean conference being held in Abu Dhabi on 4 and 5 December. He also met his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman; bilateral talks on cooperation were at the centre of these discussions.
Jaishankar said that two developments in the recent years have had the most impact on the evolution of the Indian Ocean:
Changing American strategic posture
The rise of China
Talking about the rise of china and its consequences on the global economy, he said:
He also said that COVID-19 pandemic and the United States moving away from Afghanistan have also contributed to increased uncertainties in the Indian Ocean region that is particularly vulnerable to health and economic stresses.
The theme of the fifth Indian Ocean Conference – IOC 2021 – is "Indian Ocean: Ecology, Economy, Epidemic." Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Maldivian vice-president and the Fijian prime minister were also present at the conference on Saturday.
(with Inputs from PTI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)