Kuala Lumpur: Flagging concerns over the "surging threat" of terrorism and radicalisation, India on Thursday said solutions to stem these maladies should be reached through a sustained political approach.
"All of us are justifiably concerned about the surging threat of terrorism, radicalism and extremism across the world. We have to find solutions through a sustained political approach to pre-empt and prevent radicalisation, recruitment, travel, training and financing aspects of terrorism," Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said at the 5th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting here.
"We appreciate Malaysia's Global Movement of Moderates initiative and the emphasis on de-radicalisation by Indonesia, Singapore, Australia and other countries," he said.
Singh asserted that in a world of inter-dependence and globalisation, there is no option but to follow international laws and norms.
"India supports freedom of navigation in international waters, including the South China Sea, the right of passage and overflight, unimpeded commerce and access to resources in accordance with principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea," he said.
Noting that the issue of maritime safety and security has been demanding increasing attention, Singh said the oceans in the Asia-Pacific region are a critical enabler of prosperity and growing interdependence.
He asserted that maritime security remains under threat from non-state actors such as terrorists, pirates and people smugglers.
"Incidents of piracy have gone up in recent months and we can see that developments in coastal and island states can have an impact on security on the seas. In addition, sovereignty disputes have the potential for undermining maritime security and mutual confidence," he said.
Singh urged nations that territorial disputes must be settled through peaceful means and cited how India and Bangladesh settled their disagreements using the mechanisms provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"India hopes that all parties to the disputes in the South China Sea will abide by the guidelines on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. We further support efforts for the early adoption of a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea on the basis of consensus," Singh said about the South China Sea disputes involving China and its neighbours -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
