EAM Jaishankar hails India's role in Indo-Pacific region, calls it 'yesterday’s reality'

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar on December 17 spoke about the Indo-Pacific region being “not tomorrow’s forecast but yesterday’s reality” at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit 2020 held virtually. From the Indo-Pacific region is truly about to the debate around who owns the region, Jaishankar spoke elaborately on the matter along with how India’s engagement with Indo-Pacific oceans has become severe. 

The EAM said, “So, far from it being an arcane issue of international relations, the Indo-Pacific is actually a bread-and-butter expression of our political, economic, connectivity, travel and societal interests. And it relies heavily on ensuring the safety and security of the maritime domain.”

In the virtual summit or “business gathering”, the EAM started off by saying that the concept of Indo-Pacific in recent months has “gained greater salience in diplomatic parlance” but chose to reflect on why it matters in every individual’s life. Noting that the Indo-pacific connects Africa, Asia, Eurasia’s Pacific Coast, Oceania and the Pacific Coast of the Americas, Jaishankar said that it is also the maritime domain traverses over 50 per cent of the world’s trade. Now, “every nation and region would have its own version” of the reality. 

Jaishankar said, “What is worth recognizing however is that analysis lags behind developments: as I have said before, Indo-Pacific is not tomorrow’s forecast but yesterday’s reality.”

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India’s contribution to the Indo-pacific region

While cataloguing the contributions that India has made to give a “practical shape” to the Indo-pacific, Jaishsnkar said that the nation proposed an Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) at the East Asia Summit in November 2019 which is aimed at enhancing the corporation as an “open, non-treaty-based global initiative”. Further, the EAM went on to explain the “seven pillars” of the IPOI that addresses the different aspects of the challenges that are currently being faced by the international community.

Speaking of IPOI, Jaishankar said, “It has seven pillars that address different aspects of the challenges that the international community faces. They range from Maritime Security, Maritime Ecology, Maritime Resources, Capacity Building and Resource Sharing to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation and finally Trade, Connectivity and Maritime Transport.”

“While India will be the driving force behind all areas identified under the IPOI, we are also exploring partnerships with like-minded countries,” he added.

Jaishankar also noted the nations who have expressed their willingness to work with India on the similar areas of Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, Japan, and ASEAN nations. EAM noted that both Australia and Japan have even “agreed to lead on IPOI pillars on Maritime Ecology and Connectivity respectively.”

EAM said, “India has been the first responder for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in this region, especially since 2015. It has been a regular effort, sometimes to more than one country annually. Providing Covid relief to Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles, as also to the Pacific Islands is the latest in that line.”

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