Tangled Relationships - Observer Research Foundation

ORF Occasional Paper
78
statements expressing concern for the need to maintain freedom of
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navigation on the high seas, India has decided against publicly
commenting about recent disputes involving China, Japan and South
Korea. This has been done to avoid further inflaming the situation.
However, one can assume that India advised all three countries in private to
exercise restraint and not allow escalation. India engages with Japan and
the US in a governmental trilateral process. This forum would have
discussed Japan's disputes with South Korea and China. A semi-official
(track 1.5) India-Japan-South Korea trilateral dialogue was also launched in
June 2012 in New Delhi. This forum provides India with the opportunity
to discuss the disputes involving Japan and South Korea and advocate for
caution and restraint.
All three countries are vital economic partners of India, and there is much
to lose from conflict in the region. India would counsel these three
countries to engage more closely on security issues and allow NEATS to
assume a greater role in maintaining peace and security in the region. The
SPT mechanism has so far failed to restrain North Korea. NEATS can also
play a crucial role on this front. Furthermore, as fellow member of the East
Asia Summit (EAS), India would hope the EAS mechanism to be at the
core of any emerging regional security architecture, thereby providing
India a role in maintaining peace and security in a vital part of the Indo-
Pacific strategic space.
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