South Korea and the Indo-Pacific partners of the NATO discussed expanding cooperation to counter North Korea's escalating provocations, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
"Amidst this volatility, we must enhance our collective strengths by partnering with nations which share common beliefs and values," said Air Chief Marshal.
For, the overlap of multilateral alliances in the region which has come to the fore could well turn out to be counter-productive as critics have been warning for a while now.
India and France reaffirmed their commitment to building one of the premier strategic partnerships for advancing peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
The minister's remarks are significant, given the increasing aggressive posturing being displayed by China on maritime issues.
The four leaders will discuss regional and global issues of shared interest, and exchange views on practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
The four Quad members ~ India, Japan, Australia and the US, emphasised their commitment to upholding a rulesbased international order, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty
For several years, especially during the UPA rule we were, in fact, encouraged to believe the Chindia narrative so credulously that we did precious little to counter Beijings policy of maritime encirclement of India through its string of pearls strategy
“An Indo-Pacific guided by norms and governed by rules, with freedom of navigation, open connectivity, and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, is an article of faith for India,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said
Singh emphasised India’s call for an open and inclusive order in the Indo-Pacific region based upon respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, peaceful resolutions of disputes through dialogue and adherence to international rules and laws.
