Jaishankar urges dialogue as West Asia attacks threaten global shipping

Manila,UPDATED: Jul 23, 2026 20:08 IST

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called for dialogue and diplomacy to end the West Asia conflict, and said international waterways must remain safe and open. Speaking at the 21st East Asia Summit in Manila, he said attacks on seafarers, civilian shipping and infrastructure could not be accepted.

Jaishankar also spoke on the South China Sea, Myanmar, cyber scam centres and the Israel-Palestine issue, while underlining India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality, regional stability and a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific. His remarks came amid rising tensions in West Asia, where commercial vessels have come under attack and several Indian seafarers have been killed or rescued.

“India stresses that international waterways must remain safe and unimpeded, fully in consonance with international law,” Jaishankar said. “Under no circumstances can attacks on seafarers, civilian shipping or infrastructure be countenanced,” he added. Fourteen Indians have died in the West Asia conflict since it began following the US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28. Jaishankar said, “The world economy is today reeling under the impact of multiple conflicts; energy, food and health security cannot be taken for granted, especially by the Global South.” He added, “The global order is uncertain and volatile, where interdependence and common interests co-exist with competitiveness and rivalries.”

On the South China Sea, Jaishankar said India supports the conclusion of a “substantive, effective and legally binding code of conduct, compliant with UNCLOS 1982, that does not prejudice the legitimate rights of all users”. On Myanmar, he called for a “political solution” and said India continued to support ASEAN efforts. He also called for collective action against cyber scam centres, saying they had victimised Indian nationals in significant numbers. On the Israel-Palestine issue, Jaishankar called for a two-state solution for lasting peace and said, “India has made notable relief and rehabilitation contributions and is a top emerging donor of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).”

The East Asia Summit is a regional forum held every year by leaders from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, and its meetings are held after the annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings. Jaishankar used the forum to press for safe international waterways, diplomatic solutions to conflicts, action on cyber scams and continued support for a rules-based regional order.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends