EAM S Jaishankar says challenges in Indo-Pacific region could extend to Europe

Paris: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has stressed that distance is no insulation and issues countries confront in the Indo-Pacific will extend beyond, even to Europe. In his remarks at the Opening Session of the EU Ministerial Forum on Indo-Pacific in Paris, the Minister said collective efforts can keep the oceans peaceful, open and secure, and contribute to conserve its resources and keep it clean. 

He welcomed European Union's commitment to contribute to the security of the Indo-Pacific region. He said the tides of the Indo-Pacific region will help shape this century.

Dr Jaishankar said the EU can also promote economic development, infrastructure, connectivity, digital transformation, climate change, biodiversity and human-centric concerns like health, besides security. He said India welcomes EU’s Global Gateway for these reasons.

He said EU’s strategy is consistent with India’s vision of a free, open, balanced and



inclusive Indo-Pacific region, anchored in ASEAN centrality. He added that India’s approach is broad-based and emphasises multilateralism, plurilateralism and collective action.

Later speaking at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris on ‘How India sees France’, he said France is central to multipolarity and rebalancing and extremely responsive to India’s concerns and priorities. He said said India sees France as a major power with a global outlook and an independent mindset.

Dr Jaishankar said the world is today in the midst of multiple crises, including one in Europe, against the backdrop of profound geopolitical, geo-economic and technological changes. He said the widespread disruption of the pandemic has sharpened these trends. He pointed out that these developments have generated new challenges to the international order and the world no longer has the comfort of the familiar.