NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday referred to the ongoing West Asia and Ukraine-Russia conflicts, reiterating that “no solutions are found in the battlefield”. He was addressing the East Asia Summit in Laos.
Modi said, “There is a collective desire for the restoration of peace and stability in regions such as Eurasia and West Asia as soon as possible.”
“Solutions to problems cannot be found in the battlefield,” the PM said. In the past few months, Modi has advised against going to war at all multi-lateral forums he has spoken at.
“I have repeatedly stated that this is not the age of war… With a humanitarian perspective, we must place a strong emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy,” Modi said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs, responding to an Israeli attack on the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, said, “We are concerned over the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. The inviolability of the UN premises must be respected by all.”
At Laos, Modi said the most affected countries due to the ongoing conflicts in various parts of the world were those from the Global South. He emphasised on respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity and international laws. He added that “India will continue to make every effort to contribute in this direction.”
Modi did not miss to mention the issues South East Asian countries have with China. “Peace, security and stability in South China Sea are in the interests of the entire Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
“India believes that maritime activities should be conducted in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). A robust and effective code of conduct should be developed. And, it should not impose restrictions on the foreign policies of regional countries,” Modi said.
A code of conduct is being discussed among the six countries that are party to the maritime boundary dispute in South China Sea. The six countries the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have been discussing it as China did not accept a UN verdict on the demarcation of maritime boundary.
Modi said India had consistently supported the unity and centrality of the 10-country ASEAN bloc that was pivotal to India’s Indo-Pacific vision and Quad cooperation.
India endorsed the ASEAN’s approach to the situation in Myanmar and supported the five-point consensus, he said.