NEW DELHI, India – India is concerned about the possible impact of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute on trade and is urging claimants to follow the international law in addressing the issue.
Shri Anil Wadhwa, Secretary (East) of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said on Thursday that sea lanes and communication lines should remain open.
“We advocate that the lines, the channels of trade and communication should be kept open and of course the sea, which, according to UN (United Nations) international law of the sea, is common to all the countries that use it,” he told journalists who attended the Delhi Dialogue VI here. “Definitely we are concerned.”
India regards its relationship with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a cornerstone of its foreign policy, being a sectoral dialogue partner of the regional bloc since 1992.