The Indo-Pacific region must be "free, open and inclusive" to avoid protectionism, according to EAM Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: Affirming that the Indo-Pacific must be a region "free, open and inclusive," India said Thursday that it was imperative to avoid protectionism and to avoid a return to great rivalries of power

. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, who delivered the opening address of the Delhi Dialogue in the presence of 10 Heads of Delegation from the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said that takes into account the equality of all, regardless of size and strength.

His remarks come amid the growing assertion of China in the region.

Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, with ASEAN leaders in New Delhi. Twitter / @ MEAIndia

"Our vision of the Indo-Pacific involves not only physical interconnection, but also the creation of trusted bonds based on mutual respect, sovereignty and integrity territorial, consultation, transparency, sustainability and sustainability, "said Swaraj. She said that it was imperative to avoid protectionism and avoid the return to great power rivalries.

"The Indo-Pacific must be a free, open and inclusive region.We must follow a common, rule-based order that takes into account the equality of all, regardless of size and It should allow the use of common spaces at sea and in the air, "said Swaraj at the 10th edition of the dialogue on" Strengthening ASEAN-India maritime cooperation ". "

. She affirmed that the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law and the search for concerted solutions to emerging and non-traditional challenges were important. His remarks take on importance as ASEAN countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei have disputes with China over the South China Sea.

Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan is a strong advocate for a rules-based world order that defends the rights and sovereignty of all states, regardless of size, and provides for a settlement peaceful disputes without the use of force or the threat of the use of force. Singapore has always strongly supported the freedom of navigation as an existential right, including the freedom of overflight, said Mr. Balakrishnan. "The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is essential to ensure the use of the sea for free navigation and legal trade without hindrance." Singapore would resolutely oppose any attempt to threaten or constrain this fundamental right. Swaraj, in his remarks, also said that India was ready to strengthen cooperation in the areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), search and rescue operations, the fight against piracy and the fight against terrorism. , counter-proliferate and collaborate on the knowledge of the maritime domain. "We will also work for an ecologically sustainable development of ocean resources in a collaborative framework, and we believe that ASEAN is at the heart of ASEAN and at the heart of ASEAN", said the minister.

Affirming that the India-ASEAN commitment was deeply rooted, Swaraj said that India placed ASEAN at the center of his dream of Asia. century. "As Asia regains its global position for the 21st century and it will be called" Century of Asia ", it goes without saying that India and India will ASEAN will play a vital role in this task. " We are looking forward to working with ASEAN Member States. She said India recognizes that the most important ingredient that can qualitatively change its economic engagement with ASEAN is an important boost to infrastructure and connectivity .

India was making substantial progress on all fronts bilaterally and regionally, Swaraj said. "In terms of connectivity, India has made considerable progress in implementing the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and the Kaladan multimodal transport project," she said. added. . "Our recent agreement with Indonesia to develop the port infrastructure at Sabang is a further step in that direction," she said. "We are working on specific proposals for the establishment of a regional high-capacity fiber optic network, complemented by rural broadband networks and digital villages in remote areas." We offered a credit line of $ 1 billion to help finance these connectivity projects and others with ASEAN, "said Mr. Swaraj. "We are also engaged in the negotiations of the Global Regional Economic Partnership (RCEP) involving ASEAN and its six FTA partners.We believe that the RCEP represents a decisive opportunity to further engage our eastern neighbors economically," he said. she added. India hopes that the negotiations can be finalized as soon as possible.

Heads of delegations of ASEAN countries, including Balakrishnan, Vice Foreign Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dzung and Hoang Ahn Tuan, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, ASEAN Secretariat L & A Association of Nations of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) includes Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and the Brunei.