South China Sea Code of Conduct must comply with UNCLOS: MEA says "position on this is very clear"

Speaking during a special briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Philippines, Tandon said negotiations between ASEAN and China on the Code of Conduct had been underway for some time, but he did not have information about their current status or proximity to conclusion.

"The negotiations between ASEAN and China on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea have been taking place for quite some time. I don't have any information about where exactly it is, or how far or how close it is to conclusion," he said.

"Our position on this is very clear. This is a very important international waterway. So, whatever Code of Conduct is developed must be compliant with international maritime law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It must take into account the legitimate rights of countries that are not participating in that negotiation," he added.

Tandon also emphasised that maritime cooperation would remain a priority for India, given the geographical proximity of Southeast Asia to the Indian Ocean.

"Maritime cooperation will always be a priority. As I said, we are an Indian Ocean country. The Southeast Asian maritime zone is a maritime zone that abuts the Indian Ocean. So, it is by default a very important area for us," he said.

Highlighting the importance of maritime domain awareness and collaboration, he said cooperation could include coordinated patrolling, tackling piracy and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and ensuring good order at sea.

"The holy grail in maritime cooperation is, of course, developing maritime domain awareness and collaborations, like we mentioned about coordinated patrolling, tackling, you know, piracy, tackling IUU fishing, and ensuring good order at sea. All this requires collaboration," he said.

"So, there is a whole range of activities that we can do, but of course, we will start with developing ideas and collaborations that will enhance everyone's maritime domain awareness," he added.

On the possibility of bilateral meetings involving Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, including a potential QUAD engagement, Tandon said efforts were being made to arrange meetings, but there was no confirmed information about the Prime Minister's programme beyond his participation in the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit.

"On the QUAD, as I told you, there is a series of bilateral and other bilateral meetings. There are a series of efforts being made to fix them up. We don't have any information on this at the moment," he said.

"In fact, we have no information on the programme apart from the PM's attendance at the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit. This is a programme that is quickly being developed, but we don't have information on it now," he added.

The remarks come ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which the Philippines is hosting in Manila, with at least 19 world leaders and heads of global institutions expected to participate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits in Manila, scheduled to take place from November 16 to 18.

Under the theme 'Navigating Our Future, Together', the summit will focus on strengthening regional collaboration and enhancing ASEAN's collective capacity to respond to emerging regional and global challenges, including the situation in Myanmar.

According to the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the high-level engagements will begin on November 15 with the opening ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Center, followed by plenary and retreat sessions of ASEAN leaders.

The leaders will also hold interface meetings with ASEAN Parliamentarians, the business community and youth representatives.

As per the Philippine news agency, the related summits, or Plus One Summits, will take place from November 16 to 17, with participation from dialogue partners, including India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate in the engagements, while US President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are also expected to attend the regional gathering.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, instead of Chinese President Xi Jinping, will attend the 29th China-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Manila, as per Anadolu news agency. According to a report by The Manila Times, the Philippines' DFA had clarified that Premier Li, rather than Chinese President Xi Jinping, customarily represents Beijing at ASEAN-related summits.

The DFA said the participation of global leaders and institutional representatives underscores ASEAN's "unique convening power and continued role as a platform for dialogue and cooperation" with the wider international community.

The Philippines, under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., will also convene the 29th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit on November 17, before handing over the ASEAN chairship to Singapore.

The day will conclude with the ASEAN-United States Special Summit, which will be attended by US President Donald Trump. (ANI)