At Quad FMs meet, Jaishankar calls for respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty

India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday called for "respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty" and "peaceful resolution of disputes" at the Quad Foreign Ministers meet in Tokyo.

The statement comes as China has been aggressive at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India in eastern Ladakh for months now.

Quad is a group of four countries -- India, Australia, Japan and United States. The group, which is seen by China as suspicious, has been calling for "free and open" Indo Pacific.

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Jaishankar highlighted how "vibrant and pluralistic democracies with shared values" Quad member states are. They have "collectively affirmed the importance of maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific" and "remain committed to upholding the rules-based international order, underpinned by the rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in the international seas.

China, which has been locking horns in some way or the other with each Quad country, has been staking claim to 90 per cent of South China, irking ASEAN countries and drawing sharp reactions from Washington, New Delhi. Many countries have been reiterating calls for freedon of navigation in South China Sea amid Beijing's claims.

"Our objective remains advancing the security and the economic interests of all countries having legitimate and vital interests in the region and expressed satisfaction that the Indo-Pacific concept has gained increasingly wider acceptance," Jaishankar added.

Asean and Germany are among other blocks and countries to acknowledge the concept.

To this end, Jaishankar said, "The events of this year have clearly demonstrated how imperative it is for likeminded countries to coordinate responses to the various challenges that the pandemic has brought to the fore."

"You are all aware that India assumes membership of the UN Security Council next year. We look forward to seeking collective solutions to global challenges,including global recovery from the pandemic and reform of multilateral institutions," he further said.

This is the second Quad FMs meet -- the last one happened in New York.