The meeting assumes significance in the wake of aggressive Chinese postures and nuclear testing by its ally North Korea.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in New York on a week-long visit to the US. Soon after her arrival, she held seven meetings at the United Nations Headquarters, that included a crucial trilateral meet with the foreign ministers of US and Japan. Three foreign ministers, US Secretary of State Rex Wayne Tillerson, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, and Swaraj met on Monday morning to discuss maritime security, connectivity, and proliferation issues. The meeting assumes significance in the wake of aggressive Chinese postures and nuclear testing by its ally North Korea.
A statement issued by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the ministers emphasised the need for ensuring freedom of navigation, respect for international law, and peaceful resolution of disputes, a reference to Chinese claims of South China Sea. There was also an indirect reference to China's One-Belt-One–Road (OBOR) initiative. The three sides underlined that for connectivity initiatives, the importance of basing them on universally recognised international norms, prudent financing and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity was important. On North Korea, they deplored its recent actions and said that its proliferation linkages must be explored and those involved be held accountable. They also directed their officials to explore practical steps to enhance cooperation.
Swaraj will also participate in a high-level meeting on UN reforms, hosted and chaired by US President Donald Trump. India is among the 120 countries which have supported the reform efforts of the UN Secretary General.
In a preview of Swaraj's engagements, India's permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin had said that issues of climate change, terrorism, people-centric migration and peacekeeping are other key focus areas for India this year. She will address the UN General Assembly on September 23. Akbaruddin in an interaction with Indian reporters ruled out a bilateral meeting between Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif. However, the two leaders are likely to meet during several multilateral meetings, including that of SAARC and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
India is also expected to press for a ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, which was blocked by China consistently in the past at the UN. India is also pushing an international initiative on solar alliance. But India's diplomatic nerves will be tested on Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina proposal for Rohingya Muslims. Akbarudin said, India is "confident that a process will ensure "India's tradition of not turning our back on the vulnerable and persecuted is maintained, as we balance our security concerns".
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