India calls for safe international waterways, dialogue on global conflicts at East Asia Summit
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday urged that international waterways must remain safe and unimpeded, fully in accordance with international law. Speaking at the 21st East Asia Summit in Manila, he emphasised that attacks on seafarers, civilian shipping, or infrastructure cannot be countenanced. He described the current global order as “uncertain and volatile”.
Mr. Jaishankar called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis in the Persian Gulf region and for a political solution to the civil conflict in Myanmar, where Ethnic Armed Organisations have been challenging the military junta that took power in February 2021. He reiterated India’s support for ASEAN-led efforts in Myanmar.
On the South China Sea, Mr. Jaishankar backed the conclusion of a substantive, effective, and legally binding Code of Conduct fully compliant with UNCLOS 1982, without prejudicing legitimate rights of all users. He also called for ASEAN centrality, regional stability, and a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
India will host two East Asia Summit activities this year: the seventh EAS conference on maritime security cooperation in Kochi and an EAS Maritime Heritage Festival in Lothal, an ancient port city.
Mr. Jaishankar expressed India’s zero tolerance for terrorism, stating that acts of terrorism will have consequences. He also urged collective action against cyberscam centres that have defrauded citizens of multiple countries. He warned that the world economy is reeling under multiple conflicts, and energy, food, and health security cannot be taken for granted, especially by the Global South.
On the Israel-Palestine crisis, Mr. Jaishankar reiterated India’s support for a two-state solution as the path to lasting peace.
Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs responded to Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s remarks at the ASEAN Regional Forum regarding Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty. Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal termed the comments “baseless and unwarranted”, accusing Pakistan of exploiting multilateral forums to amplify falsehoods and divert attention from its record of sponsoring cross-border terrorism. Mr. Dar had called for a just resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and emphasised upholding the Indus Waters Treaty. India has placed the IWT in abeyance since the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam.
