Sea lines of communication passing through South China Sea critical for peace in Indo-Pacific region: Jaishankar

External External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday stressed the need for a substantive and effective code of conduct to secure sea lines of communication in the South China Sea which he said are critical for peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, amidst growing concerns about China's maritime coercion.

Addressing the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Laos's capital Vientiane, Jaishankar said the EAS process will complete two decades next year and India will contribute towards a stronger EAS process.

He said India will continue to uphold ASEAN unity and centrality through our Act East Policy.

Talking about maritime security, Jaishankar said: the "Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) passing through the South China Sea are critical for peace, stability, prosperity and development of the Indo-Pacific region." SLOC is a term describing the primary maritime routes between ports, used for trade, logistics and naval forces.

The "Code of Conduct should be substantive and effective, consistent with international law and should not prejudice legitimate rights and interest of nations not party to discussions," he said.

Jaishankar's comments hold significance as his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi is also in Vientiane to attend the summit.

The resource-rich South China Sea in the Indo-Pacific region is widely seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict.

China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, while The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the maritime area.

The South China Sea provides shipping routes connecting Northeast Asia with Southeast Asia and West Asia.

Southeast Asian countries are trying to reach an agreement with China on a code of conduct to avert confrontations in the South China Sea.

At the meeting, Jaishankar also called for de-escalation and restraint in Gaza.

"India continues to extend humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine," he said.

He also expressed concern over attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. "India is independently contributing to ensuring the safety and security of maritime shipping," Jaishankar said.

On the conflict in Ukraine, he said India maintained the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve it.

"PM @narendramodi recently engaged President (Vladimir) Putin and President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy. India stands ready to contribute in any manner possible," he said in a post on X.

India remains a steadfast supporter of the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and appreciates its convergence with the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).

India encourages more East Asia Summit (EAS) members to join IPOI.

"We have consistently contributed towards the EAS Plan of Action," he said, adding Nalanda University is a realisation of an important commitment to the EAS, he said, referring to the premier educational institution in Bihar.

India values the participation of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members in the Voice of the Global South Summit hosted by it last year.

"The EAS is crucial in bringing us together at a time when differences are sharp and interests are diverse. India will always stand firm in its commitment to the EAS process," he said.