With China’s growing assertiveness in mind, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar focused on the maritime security issues in the Indian Ocean during his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, diplomatic sources told The Daily Guardian. Jaishankar’s meeting with the Bangladeshi leader assumes significance amid the reports about China seeking to expand its footprints in the neighbouring country.
Sources said China’s bid to grow influence in the Indian Ocean also was a key agenda as Jaishankar held a meeting with Hasina. Significantly, the Hasina government’s stand is that “Bangladesh wants a free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive Indian Ocean instead of dominance by any single country”.
“Hasina and Jaishankar discussed issues of mutual interests while expressing satisfaction at the level of bilateral cooperation in various fields,” diplomatic sources said. In fact, the Indian Ocean is a crucial maritime trade route to which Bangladesh attaches a high level of importance.
The security in the Indian Ocean is one of the major issues to be discussed during the sixth Indian Ocean Conference being held in Bangladesh 12-13 May. Sources said that India is expecting a broader agreement on various security aspects during the conference which is being attended by top ministers and officers from Indian Ocean RIM Association (IORA) countries and these will include representatives from BIMSTEC, SAARC and other groups.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen had remarked some time ago, “The Indian Ocean is a huge issue. We do not want to see any unilateral dominance by any particular group or country in the Indian Ocean. This is our principle.” As two responsible states, Bangladesh and India are committed to ensuring the rise of a “free, open, inclusive and rules based IOR”, says the concept note of the conference.
China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific will be one of the key agendas when Jaishankar participates in the second EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Sweden. He will be flying to Sweden after the conclusion of the Indian Ocean Conference on 13 May. He will hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of several of the 60 countries which are expected to be there. Sources told TDG that growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific will be the key agenda during Jaishankar’s bilateral talks with his counterparts from several European countries. According to sources, one of the three roundtable sessions will be devoted to the evolving security landscape of the Indo-Pacific that is expected to discuss China’s growing assertiveness across the region. Jaishankar will be in Belgium during 16-17 May to participate in the maiden ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council.