Jaishankar discusses Indo-Pacific, border standoff with China’s Yi

New Delhi, July 14

A day after meeting the Foreign Ministers of the UK and Russia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his counterparts from the US, China and Canada on the sidelines of meetings with the ASEAN group of countries.

“Just concluded a meeting with Wang Yi of the office of the CPC Central Commission for Foreign Affairs. Discussed outstanding issues related to peace and tranquility in border areas. Our conversation also covered the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum agenda, BRICS and the Indo-Pacific,” tweeted Jaishankar after the meeting.

Wang Yi stepped in after the mysterious unavailability of Qin Gang who had replaced the former as the Foreign Minister in December last year. Wang has moved to the higher position of Director, Chinese Communist Party’s Foreign Relations Commission. Not seen in public since June 25, Beijing said he won’t attend the ongoing ASEAN meetings due to health reasons.

Among the prominent western Foreign Ministers whom Jaishankar met were US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie.

Speaking at the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial, Jaishankar pressed for diplomacy to address conflicts, delegitimisation of terrorism and diversification of economic supply chains.

The minister touched extensively on the maritime domain during his address at the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. In a reiteration of the tweaked Indian stand seen during the meeting with the Philippines Foreign Minister in Delhi last week, Jaishankar stressed the “primacy” of UNCLOS 1982 and support for ASEAN’s position that it is the basis for determining entitlements.

Presses for diplomacy to address conflicts

At the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pressed for diplomacy to address conflicts, delegitimisation of terrorism and diversification of economic supply chains.