International waterways must remain safe and unimpeded: S. Jaishankar
Jaishankar during his meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyed Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi in Manila, Philippines.
participating in 21st Global shipping channels “must remain secure and unblocked,” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said at the East Asia Summit in Manila on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
At the meeting, Mr. Jaishankar also called for dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the crisis in the Persian Gulf region and called for a “political solution” to the civil conflict in Myanmar, where Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) are challenging the authority of the military junta that came to power in February 2021.
“Calling for dialogue and diplomacy to end the West Asia/Gulf conflict, India emphasizes that international waterways must remain safe and unobstructed, fully compliant with international law. Attacks on seafarers, civilian shipping or infrastructure are unacceptable under any circumstances,” Mr. Jaishankar said. He described the evolving state of the global order as “uncertain and volatile.”
He said India will host two special East Asia Summit events this year: the seventh EAS conference on maritime security cooperation in Kochi and an EAS Maritime Heritage Festival in the ancient port city of Lothal. He briefed the summit on India’s stance on the South China Sea and said India supports “the finalization of a substantive, effective and legally binding Code of Conduct (CoC) that is fully compliant with UNCLOS 1982, without prejudice to the legitimate rights of all users.” Continuing the theme, he called for “ASEAN centrality, regional stability and the realization of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
Regional Forum
Regarding the ongoing civil conflict in Myanmar, he expressed India’s support for ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the situation. Addressing the 33rd meeting, Mr. Jaishankar said, “India advocates finding a political solution to the Myanmar issue.”third ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). He reiterated India’s policy of “zero tolerance to terrorism” and said there should be no doubt that “acts of terrorism will have consequences”. He also said that “collective action against cyber fraud centers” should be prioritized as these fraud centers defraud citizens of many countries. “The world economy is reeling under the impact of many conflicts today; energy, food and health security cannot be taken for granted, especially by the Global South,” Mr. Jaishankar said. He reiterated India’s position on the Israel-Palestine crisis and said that “a two-state solution can lead to a lasting and lasting peace.”
Pure. Statements about the Indus Waters Treaty
Responding separately to Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishak Dar’s comments on Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the ARF, the Ministry of External Affairs said the comments were “baseless and unwarranted”.
“It is no surprise that a multilateral forum has once again been cynically exploited by Pakistan to amplify falsehoods, peddle state-sponsored disinformation and divert attention from its well-documented history of sponsoring cross-border terrorism,” said Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry.
Earlier, Mr. Dar had said: “…lasting peace in South Asia lies in the just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council.” Mr. Dar also said that “support for the Indus Waters Treaty” is “the cornerstone of regional peace and stability.”
India has suspended IWT since the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 20, 2025.
It was published – 24 July 2026 03:00 IST
