| New Delhi |
Updated: November 15, 2020 11:28:54 am
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
In a clear signal to China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday emphasised the importance of adhering to international law, “respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty”, and promoting a rules-based global order. Last month, he had spoken about respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty after the Indo-US 2+2 meeting in New Delhi.
On the South China Sea issue, Jaishankar expressed “concern about actions and incidents that erode trust in the region” – in a clear reference to Beijing's aggressive actions. He stated that the Code of Conduct negotiations should not be prejudicial to legitimate interests of third parties and should be fully consistent with UNCLOS. He also underlined the need for greater international cooperation in the post-Covid world to tackle the challenges cutting across national boundaries such as terrorism, climate change and pandemic among other issues.
Jaishankar made these remarks as he represented India at the 15th East Asia Summit on Saturday, which provides a platform for discussion on important strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific region. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had represented India at the EAS in…
