External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in discussion with her South African counterpart Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrm at Asia Africa Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia on Wednesday. (PTI)
Terming the Islamic State or IS as a cause for grave concern, India today exhorted a congregation of Asian and African countries to be resolute in combating terrorism and acting against maritime piracy.
Addressing the Asian African Summit 2015 in Jakarta, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called for UN reforms and cohesive action for a new world order.
She said the rise of extremist violence and terrorism has been one of the most disturbing security phenomena and several parts of the two continents are victim to a medley of terrorist groups.
"The ISIS has emerged as a cause of grave concern in the last year. We must be resolute in countering this scourge that challenges our civilisation," she said.
The External Affairs Minister, who is nursing a leg injury delivered her speech sitting at her place.
She raised the issue of maritime security saying threat of piracy remains despite action in Malacca Straits and the Gulf of Aden.
"We have worked together to combat piracy in the Malacca Straits and the Gulf of Aden, yet the threat remains due to political instability, poverty and lack of development in parts of our region."
"The Indian Ocean's importance as an active trade route will grow in the future. As we embark upon the concept of Blue Economy as a new pillar of development, it becomes even more important to secure our seas," she said.
Recalling the spirit of historical Bandung conference of 1955, she said, "The Bandung spirit for a just and equitable order continues. Asia and Africa are both in consonance to reorder international institutions and reform the UN and its Security Council as also other institutions, where our voices are not being heard.
We need more cohesive action on this and India is ready to play its due role in the new world order".
Ms Swaraj said Asian and African countries need to make sustained efforts to reform the United Nations, revitalise the UN General Assembly and expand the membership of the UN Security Council.
"A reformed and expanded UN Security Council, taking into account the current global realities, will significantly increase the representation of Asia and Africa in the UN Security Council."
"On this occasion we recall that this Summit is a tribute to the momentous Bandung Conference which arose out of the meeting of minds of the visionary leaders of Asia and Africa. The Bandung Conference itself inherited the mantle of the Asian Relations Conference of 1947 and the Conference of Asian and African Nations of 1949."
"These meetings had crystallised the ethos and values of our two continents. In the last 60 years the Bandung spirit has remained a source of inspiration for the leaders of Asia and Africa in their quest for world peace and cooperation," she said.
Ms Swaraj said India considers the Asian and African region as part of its extended neighbourhood and the partnership with both the continents as unique.
"Today as one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, India is attaching utmost importance to economic engagement with the nations in these two continents," she said.
The minister said India's interaction and integration with the South and East Asian economies has grown substantially with the launch of its "Look East Policy" in 1992 and "we expect to achieve greater integration with our dynamic neighbours through our 'Act East Policy' to realise the dream of an Asian century".
She said that Africa is a frontier of new opportunities and India is interested in its economic growth and its integration with the global economy.
"We are also actively engaged in the economic development, human resources development, capacity building, agriculture and food processing, infrastructure development and maritime security through its flagship programme of India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS). We will be hosting the 3rd India-Africa Forum
Summit in end-October this year when I hope to receive several of the leaders present today in my country," Ms Swaraj said.
She said since 2009, India has extended Lines of Credit worth USD 5 billion to the African countries, built 80 capacity building institutes, funded infrastructure development and granted 22,000 scholarships in three years.
"The Pan-African e-Network project launched in 2009 is hailed as one of the most successful model of South-South cooperation. The project is funded by India for USD 90 million. Forty-eight African countries are participating in the project which offers quality tele-education, tele-medicine and VOIP connectivity," she said.
Making a strong pitch for the government's flagship "Make in India" programme, she said it is aimed to