Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has reiterated
India’s commitment to freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded lawful
commerce in international waters in accordance with international laws,
including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
In his address at the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’
Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Jakarta on Thursday, Rajnath Singh affirmed ASEAN’s
centrality and appreciated its role in promoting dialogue and consensus in the
region, said the Ministry of Defence.
He called for regional security initiatives that are
consultative and development-oriented to reflect the larger consensus among
various stakeholders. Rajnath Singh committed towards nurturing practical,
forward-looking and result-oriented cooperation with ADMM-Plus for enhancing
maritime security in the region.
Recognising that terrorism is a serious threat to
international peace and security, including in the ASEAN region, India proposed
to co-chair the EWG on Counter-Terrorism. This proposal was endorsed by
ADMM-Plus as terrorism remains a serious concern to countries in the region.
He reiterated India’s commitment to work with ASEAN
and Plus nations to ensure peace, prosperity and security, which is an apt
theme for this year’s ADMM Plus. In his address, he cited Mahatma Gandhi’s
famous quote on peace “there is no way to peace, peace is the only way”.
He stressed that conflicts result in the loss of human
lives and the destruction of livelihoods and disturb stability at regional and
global levels. Rajnath Singh said that conflicts also have an adverse
implication for food security, energy security.
Singh emphasised the role of dialogue and diplomacy in
enduring peace and ensuring global stability. He reiterated India’s message to
the world that “this is not an era of war”, and spoke about the imperative to
give up the “us versus them” mindset.
During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir
Putin in Samarkand in 2022, PM Narendra Modi said, “Today’s era is not an era
of war.” PM Modi’s statement has been endorsed by several world leaders,
including French President Emmanuel Macron.
In his address at the ADMM-Plus in Jakarta, Rajnath
Singh appreciated ASEAN Member States’ enthusiastic participation in
India-ASEAN activities, particularly the Initiative for Women in UN
Peacekeeping Operations and Initiative for Marine Plastic Pollution Response.
He praised ASEAN Member States for their active
participation in the maiden ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise held in May this year
and in the Expert Working Group (EWG) on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster
Relief (HADR) activities, of which India and Indonesia are co-chairs in the current
2020-2023 cycle.
In a post on X, Rajnath Singh stated, “Attended the
10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Jakarta and shared my
thoughts on need for deepening collaboration among ASEAN and Plus countries for
peace, prosperity & security in the region. We are committed towards
nurturing practical, forward-looking and result-oriented cooperation with
ADMM-Plus for enhancing maritime security in the ASEAN region.”
Upon his arrival at the meeting venue, Singh was
welcomed by the Indonesian Defence Minister and the Chair of ADMM Plus, Prabowo
Subianto.
The ADMM is the highest defence consultative and
cooperative mechanism in ASEAN.
Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting
annually to bolster cooperation amongst ASEAN and the Plus countries. Indonesia
is hosting the meeting as it is the chair of ADMM-Plus.
On the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus, Rajnath Singh will
hold bilateral meetings with the Defence Ministers of the participating nations
and discuss defence cooperation matters to further strengthen
mutually-beneficial engagements.
The ADMM-Plus is a platform for the ASEAN member States
– Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam – and its eight Dialogue Partners – India, US,
China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand – to strengthen
security and defence cooperation.
India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992.
Furthermore, the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Vietnam’s Hanoi on October
12, 2010.Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus Ministers meetings have been held annually
to bolster cooperation amongst ASEAN and the Plus countries.
ANI
