Indo-Pacific concept a rejection of spheres of influence: Jaishankar

concept of Indo-Pacific is a rejection of spheres of influence and a reiteration that world cant be frozen for benefit of a few even if that is case with United Nations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday.

dressing a global town hall event via video-conferencing, Jaishankar also said that Indo-Pacific was an indication of a future t a throwback to past and "only those harbouring a Cold War mindset will see such intentions".

His remarks come in wake of China's increasing military muscle-flexing in region which has become a major talking point among leing global powers.

Jaishankar said re has been a growing recognition of logic of Indo-Pacific in recent times and ASEAN's outlook on it was a table step.

"Apart from nations of larger region, we've also seen Germany, France and Nerlands subscribe recently to this approach. need of day is to give it a practical shape, this can be done by plurilateral diplomatic consultations such as QU or it can be furred in a structured fashion by Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative that India tabled at East Asia Summit in 2019," Jaishankar said at town hall session, titled ' Indo-Pacific and COVID crisis'.

"This is built on seven pillars of maritime security; maritime ecology; maritime resources, capacity building and resource sharing; disaster risk reduction and manment; science, techlogy and acemic cooperation; and tre, connectivity and maritime transport," he said.

Jaishankar said that from any objective viewpoint, Indo-Pacific is a more contemporary description of current reality.

Such a landscape creates an ethos for greater cooperation -- one particularly necessary at a time when global goods are in short supply, he said.

Jaishankar said that when challenges multiply but capacities do t keep pace, answer is only in more intensified cooperation.

Issues like maritime security, transparent and market-based connectivity or counter-terrorism do require such solutions, he said.

"Indo-Pacific is also a rejection of spheres of influence and all that this may imply. It is a reiteration that world cant be frozen for benefit of a few even if that is case with United Nations," Jaishankar said.

"It is an indication of a future t a throwback to past. Only those harbouring a Cold War mindset will see such intentions," External Affairs Minister said.

Every era produces its own strategic concepts and analytical constructs and current one is exception, Jaishankar said, ding that after all sharp distinction between Pacific and Indian Ocean atres was only me after World War II.

On June 1, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined India's vision for Indo-Pacific region in his speech delivered at Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore.

India's concept of Indo-Pacific is inclusive in nature, and supports an approach that respects right to freedom of navigation and overflight for all in international seas.

Jaishankar said that it was natural that different ideas and suggestions were at interplay and harmonising m was very much part of pluralistic political culture that many support.

In India's case, Indo-Pacific was a natural extrapolation of its Act East policy that has me China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Australia, amongst ors, its major partners, he said.

In his dress, Jaishankar also highlighted India's effective response to COVID crisis and its emphasis on global cooperation to deal with global challenges.

ting that India h responded with determination and discipline to COVID-19 challenge, he said an ecomy which did t make ventilators, testing kits, PPEs and N-95 masks, today t only caters to its own needs, but those beyond.

"By setting up more than 15,000 dedicated COVID treatment facilities, we created an infrastructure to respond effectively. A high recovery rate and low case fatality rate speak for mselves, indeed does social distancing culture and mass option of preventive measures," Jaishankar said.

But, for world what is more important is emphasis India has put on global cooperation to deal with global challenges, he said.

COVID-19 created a spike in demand for pharmaceuticals, especially for hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol, and India ramped up production, as it responded to requirement of ors, he said.

Pointing out that that w focus has shifted to vaccine production and testing, he said both were essential to return of travel rmalcy.

"India is deeply involved in many international collaborations and initiatives. Prime Minister Modi has committed to UN that we will help make vaccines accessible and affordable to all," Jaishankar said.

He also said that it was revealing that in midst of a pandemic, Indian diplomacy has put Indo-Pacific approach into practice and provided assistance to Solomon Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Tonga, Tuvalu and Palau for procurement of medical equipment and supplies to assist m in ir response to COVID 19.

"In a world where trust and transparency are w at a greater premium, it highlights importance of building more resilient supply chains. It is also a reminder of importance of multilateralism and that in turn requires herence to a rule-based global order," he said.