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The approach of ‘might is right’ has no place in maritime order and fair rules of engagement are crucial for collaboration and ensuring that no country dominates others in a hegemonic manner, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said against the backdrop of China’s muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region.
In an address at the Goa Maritime conclave as reported by PTI , he said “narrow immediate” interests may tempt nations to flout or disregard the well-established international law, but doing so would lead to the breakdown of civilised maritime relations.
Singh emphasised that common maritime priorities need to be addressed cooperatively by avoiding “selfish interests” that make the region less secure and less prosperous, adding that “adherence to international laws and agreements must be our lodestar.” The defence minister, delving into challenges in the Indian Ocean region as well as in the Indo-Pacific, underlined the importance of respecting the international maritime laws as enunciated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
