Friday, July 4, 2025
spot_img

India concerned over rising tensions in South China Sea

Date:

Share post:

spot_imgspot_img

Hanoi: India was concerned with rising tensions in the South China Sea and attaches great importance to ensuring safety and security of sea lanes and freedom of navigation, a senior Indian official said here Tuesday amid reports that China has put up a Vietnamese petroleum block under exploration by an Indian firm for global bidding.

“We in India are particularly concerned about rising tensions in East Sea/South China Sea. We attach importance to ensuring safety and security of sea lanes of communication as well as freedom of navigation. We favour resolution of all disputes and differences through peaceful means and negotiations,” said Rajiv Bhatia, director general of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), the think-tank of the Indian foreign ministry.

China claims sovereignty over the South China Sea and contests Vietnamese claims to two strategic islands and its exclusive economic zones where India has been prospecting for oil at the bidding of Hanoi.

Bhatia was addressing the inaugural session of a bilateral seminar on ‘India-Vietnam Strategic Partnership: Future Directions’ organised in collaboration with the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

Stressing that the “strategic partnership” with Vietnam was one of its most important external relationships, Bhatia said the two countries needed to strengthen cooperation in regional and international fora to promote peace, stability, development and prosperity in East Asia.

Bhatia said India’s relations with Vietnam were important because of the latter’s “significant position” in ASEAN. India was hosting the India-ASEAN summit in New Delhi early next year and celebrating the two decades of their “dialogue partnership”.

“Vietnam enjoys a very positive image in my country,” Bhatia said.

The conference, Bhatia noted, was an important initiative to connect the academic and strategic communities of the two countries to enhance various areas of cooperation, particularly energy, knowledge economy and regional security.

Introducing ICWA, the director general noted that it was India’s unique and oldest think-tank in the field of foreign policy, established in 1943, drawing inspiration from the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

He hoped the Track II exchanges would make a highly valuable contribution to the expanding dialogue between Vietnam and India. (IANS)

spot_imgspot_img

Related articles

Traditional medicine crucial to achieving global goals of Universal Health Coverage: Ayush Ministry

New Delhi, July 4:  Global goals like Universal Health Coverage (UHC) can only be met when traditional medicine...

Swami Vivekananda ignited sense of pride, confidence in history and cultural heritage: PM Modi

New Delhi, July 4:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid heartfelt homage to Swami Vivekananda on his...

Subhash Ghai shares how Aamir Khan brought dignity to Hindi cinema with his film ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’

Mumbai, July 4: Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai took to social media to shower praise on Aamir Khan for...

PM Modi presents Ram Mandir replica, holy water from Saryu river to Trinidad & Tobago PM

Port of Spain, July 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a replica of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,...