A multilateral rules-based international order along with sincere respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity remains the foundation for reviving the Indian Ocean as a strong community, the foreign minister, S Jaishankar, said on Wednesday. His remark came in the backdrop of China’s aggressive posturing on maritime issues in the region.

Addressing the 23rd Indian Ocean Rim Association Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo, he said it was India’s effort to develop an Indian Ocean community that was stable and prosperous, strong and resilient, and which was able to cooperate closely within and to respond to happenings beyond the region.

“It is thus important to maintain the Indian Ocean as a free, open, and inclusive space [that is] based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), as the Constitution of the Seas. The spirit of 1971 that our Sri Lankan colleague referred to, should continue to guide our outlook, discouraging any hidden agendas to the contrary,” the foreign minister said.

Jaishankar said India would continue its approach of contributing to build capacity and secure safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region, including as first responder and a net security provider. “India’s commitment to the well-being and progress of nations of the Indian Ocean is based on our “Neighbourhood First” policy, the SAGAR outlook, our approach to the extended neighbourhood and to the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

In the resurgence of Asia, and global rebalancing, the Indian Ocean held a central position, playing a crucial role in the development and prosperity of the littoral nations, by supporting trade and sustaining livelihoods, offering immense possibilities of connectivity and resource utilization. “It is the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘the world is one family’ which can be a binding force to bring the IORA member states together,” he said.

Jaishankar said that as the apex regional body, the IORA has the responsibility to play a significant role in making the Indian Ocean a more seamless and cooperative space. Developmental issues, lack of robust connectivity, the burden of opaque and unsustainable debt generated by unviable projects, threats to social fabric posed by extremism and fundamentalism, dangers emanating from terrorism, natural disasters, and climate change, all these were the challenges that the region faced, he added.