Support policy of development, not expansionism, says Modi in Brunei
Taking a swipe at Chine without naming the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India supports a “policy of development, and not expansionism”. He also mentioned the pending issue of South China Sea maritime dispute.
China claims most of the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. An India-Brunei joint statement cited the UN-mandated law for resolving the dispute.
“We support freedom of navigation and overflight under international laws like United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the PM said at a banquet hosted by Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan.
A code of conduct on operating in the South China is being negotiated, after China lost its case on maritime territorial claims in a UN court.
“We agree that a code of conduct should be finalised in this region. We support the policy of development, and not expansionism,” he said without naming any country
The joint statement cemented the opinion saying “both leaders reiterated their commitment to respect freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce, consistent with international law, notably the UNCLOS, 1982”.
All parties to the South China Sea dispute need to resolve disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS 1982, the joint statement added.
After a bilateral meeting with the Sultan, Modi said, “We have decided to strengthen our cooperation in fin-tech and cyber security along with agri-industry, space, pharmaceutical and health sectors.”
On energy, discussion focussed on potential for long-term cooperation in liquified natural gas (LNG). India wants long term gas supply agreements with Brunei. The US Department of Commerce says: “Brunei produces 2.43 lakh barrels of oil equivalent of natural gas per day.”
Modi said, “To strengthen our defence cooperation, we held constructive dialogue on possibilities of cooperation in defence industry, training and capacity building.”
The two sides have decided to strengthen cooperation in space sector — satellite development, remote sensing and training. The existing MoU on Brunei hosting Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) telemetry tracking and telecommand (TTC) station, has been renewed.
A planned direct flight connectivity between Bandar Seri Begawan and Chennai, has been welcomed by the two leaders.
