EAM Jaishankar Speaks with Canadian Counterpart Melanie Joly About Indo-Pacific Concerns

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 12th Dec. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly on Monday about potential areas of cooperation between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific, amid growing global concern about China’s increasing military muscle in the region.

The phone call came more than two weeks after Canada released a comprehensive Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at promoting peace, resilience, and security while outlining challenges posed by China’s aggressive behaviour in the region.

 “Good to talk to Canadian FM @melaniejoly. Spoke about enhancing our bilateral cooperation and promoting people to people ties. Also exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and how Canada’s new strategy can contribute to our relationship,” Jaishankar tweeted.

According to Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, India is a key player in the region, and Ottawa will focus on expanding economic engagement with New Delhi, including deeper trade and investment, as well as cooperating on building resilient supply chains.

“India’s strategic importance and leadership — both across the region and globally — will only increase as India, the world’s biggest democracy, becomes the most populous country in the world and continues to grow its economy,” the Canadian policy mentioned.

“Canada will seek new opportunities to partner and engage in dialogue in areas of common interest and values, including security, and the promotion of democracy, pluralism and human rights,” it said.

In a tweet, Joly said, “we discussed our new Indo-Pacific Strategy and how we plan to work together to strengthen our people-to-people ties and advance our shared interests as India chairs the G20 next year.”

Concerns about China’s growing assertiveness were also mentioned in Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

“China has benefitted from the rules-based international order to grow and prosper, but it is now actively seeking to reinterpret these rules to gain greater advantage,” it said.

“China’s assertive pursuit of its economic and security interests, advancement of unilateral claims, foreign interference and increasingly coercive treatment of other countries and economies have significant implications in the region, in Canada and around the world,” it noted.

According to the policy framework, respect for the sovereignty of other states is a cornerstone of the rules-based international order and governments’ ability to collaborate to solve shared problems.