John Kerry: Pak must do more on terror sanctuaries
John Kerry: Pak must do more on terror sanctuaries
India and the United States said on Wednesday that they have decided “to redouble their efforts towards India’s early entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)”, and stressed on the “importance of maintaining freedom of navigation, freedom of overflight, and unimpeded lawful commerce throughout the region, including in the South China Sea”.
Without naming China, the Indo-US joint statement issued after Tuesday’s Strategic and Commercial Dialogue led by US secretary of state John Kerry and minister of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, sent a clear message about India and the US being on the same page on crucial international issues, and that cooperation between the two nations “matters a great deal” not just to them but also to the rest of the world.
In another major statement of intent, the two countries “reaffirmed their commitment to work together as priority partners in the Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean region in accordance with the roadmap for cooperation under the India-US Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region”.
Mr Kerry called on China to accept the international tribunal’s recent verdict on the South China Sea which had gone against Beijing, adding that there can be “no military solution” to the problem.
Mr Kerry also said that the US has made this clear to Islamabad that Pakistan has to do more work towards clearing the terror sanctuaries and push harder against “indigenous groups” engaged in terrorist activities operating from its soil that are affecting ties with India and Afghanistan’s peace and stability.
Speaking to IIT Delhi students at an informal interaction, Mr Kerry, when asked about the Sea dispute, hinted that China could take its cue from India about how to abide by international tribunals’ judgments.
“We have discussed yesterday how India’s decision to accept the international tribunal judgment regarding its maritime border with Bangladesh actually stands apart from choices made by other countries. This is the kind of policy to support the rule of law that, in my judgment, reflects confidence and a sense of responsibility. This is a model of how potentially dangerous disputes in different trouble-spots can be resolved peacefully, including the South China Sea (in) which the US continues to call on China and the Philippines to uphold and abide by the tribunal’s recent decision which is final and legally binding on both parties... it is important for us to respect the international order, respect international law and to support regional stability and prosperity. The bottomline, my friend, is that deep cooperation between India and the United States matters a great deal to both of our countries but it also matters to the rest of the world,” he said.
Mr Kerry added, “We (India and the US) are cooperating in our approach to the Tribunal and recognition of the rule of law in respect to the South China Sea. We both understand that that decision is legally binding, the final decision. We are also both interested not in fanning the flames of conflict but to encourage parties to resolve their disputes and claims through the legal process.” He also said that even though China has rejected the judgment, Beijing itself has said it is open to bilateral negotiations to resolve the matter (with the Philippines). He added that there can be no military solution to the problem.
The US also backed permanent membership for India in the UN Security Council, with Mr Kerry saying there was a way forward on this but that it was complicated and that it was “going to take a while”, but added that India was an “established power” now.
The two countries also jointly said, “India and the United States reaffirmed their support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member. Both sides committed to ensuring that the Security Council continues to play an effective role in maintaining international peace and security as envisioned in the UN Charter. The sides committed to continued engagement on Security Council reform in the UN Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council Reform. The two sides look forward to discussing these issues in further detail at the upcoming dialogue on UN and multilateral issues.”
