Indian Ocean (file)
New Delhi: The biggest storm of change and unrest is now going to arise in the Indian Ocean, which can affect all the countries of the world. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Friday that there is a possibility of “disturbing” changes in the Indian Ocean and India needs to be prepared for it. His remarks came in the backdrop of concerns about China’s increasing maritime activities in the region. Addressing a dialogue session of a think tank, Jaishankar, without naming any country, said that the competition seen in India’s neighborhood will definitely happen in the Indian Ocean as well.
Responding to a question, the External Affairs Minister spoke about competition in the neighbourhood and said, “There is no point in lamenting about it” because India needs to compete and that is exactly what it is trying to do. He said India is prepared to compete in the Indian Ocean just as it is prepared to compete in the rest of the neighbourhood. Jaishankar said, “I think there is a maritime presence in the Indian Ocean that was not there earlier. So it is set to be a disruptive change. I think we need to anticipate this (and) we need to prepare for it.” China is gradually increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean, which is traditionally considered the Indian Navy’s sphere of influence.
India has been continuously increasing cooperation with its neighbors
The foreign minister also detailed the work being done by the government to enhance cooperation with neighbouring countries. Jaishankar said, “We realized that given our history, the size of our neighbors, our neighbors and our sociology, it is not easy to manage these relationships.” Jaishankar referred to “ups and downs at the political level” with many of India’s neighbors and said these are “realities” that need to be accepted. He said, “But we also have to understand that today we have more resources, more capabilities, we are geographically central and our size is very big.”
Jaishankar said, “From time to time we have to face challenges. There have been occasions in some of our neighbours when we have become a political issue.” In his address, the Foreign Minister said that the global scenario has changed and will continue to change. (Language)
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