Rajnath for collective Indo-Pacific security

ADVOCATES OPEN AND INCLUSIVE REGION

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

INDIA'S EMPHASIS ON rule of law and freedom of navigation inthe Indo-Pacific is not against any country, but to safeguard interests of all stakeholders, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday amid mounting global concerns over China's aggressive military posturingin the region.

In an address at a conclave of defence ministers of ASEAN member states and the bloc's dialogue partners in Kuala Lumpur, Singh said India believes that the Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive, and free from any form of "coercion". He also pitched for an approach of "collective security"to ensure sovereignty of every nation in the region.