New Delhi: India’s emphasis on the rule of law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and its advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific are not directed against any country but are aimed at safeguarding the collective interests of all regional stakeholders, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday.
Addressing the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Singh said India envisions the Indo-Pacific as an open, inclusive, and rules-based region, free from coercion or dominance.
“India’s strategic engagement with ASEAN is not transactional but long-term and principle-driven,” Singh said, underlining that the interlinkages between security, growth, and sustainability define India’s approach to regional partnership.
In his address on ‘Reflection on 15 Years of ADMM-Plus and Charting a Way Forward’, Singh said inclusivity in security means ensuring that every nation – regardless of its size or capability – has an equitable role in shaping the regional order and benefiting from it.
