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EAM S Jaishankar stresses on political-diplomatic cooperation at a time when the world is polarised
India's diplomatic efforts in recent times have focused on the tensions between Israel and Iran, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Manama, Bahrain on Sunday (December 8, 2024), pointing out that the relationship or absence of it between the two countries has been particularly a source of concern.
Addressing the 20th edition IISS Manama Dialogue on the specific subject of ‘Whither Regional Strategic Cooperation’, he also highlighted the situation in the Red Sea region amid attacks on shipping routes. The theme of this year’s Manama Dialogue is "Middle East leadership in shaping regional prosperity and security.”
“In recent times, for all of us, the relationship or absence of it between Israel and Iran has been particularly a source of concern, so some of our diplomatic efforts have focused on that particular aspect. There has been the situation in the Red Sea as well,” EAM Jaishankar noted. He stressed on political-diplomatic cooperation at a time when the world is polarised. “How do you prevent an escalation of tensions, how do you prevent conflict from spreading further?” he asked.
In his address, EAM Jaishankar highlighted the “very significant security challenges” in the region with a “very deep and disastrous impact” for trade in Asia, referring to attacks on shipping leading to diversion of maritime routes, rise in insurance and shipping costs, and the resultant delays.
India thus had an interest in trying to mitigate the situation and actually had a naval presence in this region in the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, Northern Arabian Sea, EAM Jaishankar pointed out. “Over the year, about 30 ships, the peak was about 12 ships at one point of time, were deployed there. And in the last year we have actually responded to 24 actual incidents, escorted 250 ships, rescued 120 crew members,” he stated.
India was working in tandem with Operation Prosperity Guardian and had its own nationally named operation, he noted, adding it was also a member of the combined maritime force which is centered in Bahrain. “We intend to increase our bilateral exercise both in the Gulf with our partners as well as in the Mediterranean. The Gulf countries have been our fairly regular partners by now and in almost every case we have seen an uptick in our shared activities. In the Mediterranean, particularly, apart from Israel, with Greece, with Egypt, we have had significant exercises this year,” EAM Jaishankar said.
He also used the opportunity to highlight the need for strong cooperation in sectors like connectivity and mobility.
“Today, global connectivity is very fragile, it is very limited. Many of the historic disruptions have not been addressed. So, we are today very heavily focused on trying to in a way find a kind of a new hard wiring for the international economy,” he noted.
“We are also entering an era of AI, of innovation, of Start-Ups. There is a global workplace in the making. Those 10 million Indians who live here testify to that. This is only going to intensify. So how we deal with greater mobility and the compulsions of greater mobility, I think is also going to be part of the strategic conversation that we are going to have,” he added.
EAM Jaishankar is on a four-day two-nation visit to Qatar and Bahrain from December 6-9, 2024. During his visit to Qatar, he attended the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum on the theme ‘The Innovation Imperative’. While in Bahrain, he will also co-chair the 4th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (HJC) with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
Addressing the 20th edition IISS Manama Dialogue on the specific subject of ‘Whither Regional Strategic Cooperation’, he also highlighted the situation in the Red Sea region amid attacks on shipping routes. The theme of this year’s Manama Dialogue is "Middle East leadership in shaping regional prosperity and security.”
“In recent times, for all of us, the relationship or absence of it between Israel and Iran has been particularly a source of concern, so some of our diplomatic efforts have focused on that particular aspect. There has been the situation in the Red Sea as well,” EAM Jaishankar noted. He stressed on political-diplomatic cooperation at a time when the world is polarised. “How do you prevent an escalation of tensions, how do you prevent conflict from spreading further?” he asked.
In his address, EAM Jaishankar highlighted the “very significant security challenges” in the region with a “very deep and disastrous impact” for trade in Asia, referring to attacks on shipping leading to diversion of maritime routes, rise in insurance and shipping costs, and the resultant delays.
India thus had an interest in trying to mitigate the situation and actually had a naval presence in this region in the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, Northern Arabian Sea, EAM Jaishankar pointed out. “Over the year, about 30 ships, the peak was about 12 ships at one point of time, were deployed there. And in the last year we have actually responded to 24 actual incidents, escorted 250 ships, rescued 120 crew members,” he stated.
India was working in tandem with Operation Prosperity Guardian and had its own nationally named operation, he noted, adding it was also a member of the combined maritime force which is centered in Bahrain. “We intend to increase our bilateral exercise both in the Gulf with our partners as well as in the Mediterranean. The Gulf countries have been our fairly regular partners by now and in almost every case we have seen an uptick in our shared activities. In the Mediterranean, particularly, apart from Israel, with Greece, with Egypt, we have had significant exercises this year,” EAM Jaishankar said.
He also used the opportunity to highlight the need for strong cooperation in sectors like connectivity and mobility.
“Today, global connectivity is very fragile, it is very limited. Many of the historic disruptions have not been addressed. So, we are today very heavily focused on trying to in a way find a kind of a new hard wiring for the international economy,” he noted.
“We are also entering an era of AI, of innovation, of Start-Ups. There is a global workplace in the making. Those 10 million Indians who live here testify to that. This is only going to intensify. So how we deal with greater mobility and the compulsions of greater mobility, I think is also going to be part of the strategic conversation that we are going to have,” he added.
EAM Jaishankar is on a four-day two-nation visit to Qatar and Bahrain from December 6-9, 2024. During his visit to Qatar, he attended the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum on the theme ‘The Innovation Imperative’. While in Bahrain, he will also co-chair the 4th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (HJC) with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
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