As China is going ahead with its Belt and Road Intiative(BRI)with some countries including Pakistan, India on Friday said promoting connectivity is an act of trust and has to conform to laws besides respecting sovereignty.
Making this point in his address, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar did not name China and said no serious connectivity initiative can ever be a one-way street and that the real issues are of “mindsets, not of disputes” as blocking connectivity in practice while professing support in principle benefits no one.
Participating in an international conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jaishankar said building connectivity is an act of trust and it must, at the minimum, conform to the laid down laws as respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity are the most basic principles of international relations.
Refraining from mentioning China, he said connectivity efforts must be based on economic viability and financial responsibility and they should not create debt burdens, seen as an oblique reference to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
His remarks came in the backdrop of several countries criticizing the BRI project as Chinese financing has resulted in rising debt in several countries where infrastructure projects under the mega initiative are being implemented. Elaborating upon his contention, Jaishankar said the world should focus on all the facets and not just the physical infrastructure while expanding connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia.
He made these observations at the conference on ‘Central and South Asia: Connectivity’ hosted by Uzbekistan with an aim to significantly boost connectivity between the two regions. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and leaders from around 35 countries attended the conference.
Jaishankar said connectivity efforts must be based on economic viability and financial responsibility. “They should promote economic activity and not create debt burdens. Ecological and environmental standards, as also skill and technology transfers, are musts. Connectivity must be consultative, transparent and participatory,” he said.
As regards strife-torn Afghanistan, the minister said for reliable connectivity within and through that country the world must have confidence in its governance, noting that development and prosperity go hand in hand with peace and security.
Jaishankar said economic growth is universally driven by “3Cs: connectivity, commerce and contacts”, adding all three need to come together to ensure regional cooperation and prosperity.