Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired United Nations Security Council open debate on on 'Enhancing Maritime Security: A Case For International Cooperation', via video conferencing. PM Modi is the first Indian prime minister to preside over a UN Security Council Open Debate, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
The open debate was focused on ways to effectively counter maritime crime and insecurity, and strengthen coordination in the maritime domain.
While speaking at the programme, PM Modi called oceans as very important aspect of the pkanet and said, "Oceans are our shared heritage & our maritime routes are the lifelines of international trade. These oceans are very important for the future of our planet".
The Prime minister said that the oceans over the years have been misused for piracy and terrorism. "This shared heritage of ours (oceans) is facing several types of challenges. Maritime routes are being misused for piracy and terrorism", the PM said.
PM Modi while listing out five principles during the open debate on enhancing maritime security, said, "Firstly, we should remove barriers from legitimate maritime trade. The prosperity of all of us is dependent on the active flow of maritime trade. The bottlenecks in this can be a challenge for the entire global economy".
"Second principle is that the settlement of maritime disputes should be peaceful and on the basis of international law only. This is very important for mutual trust and confidence. This is the only way we can ensure global peace and stability".
Modi said, "The third principle is that we should face natural disasters & maritime threats created by non-state actors together. India has taken several steps to enhance regional cooperation on this. We have been the first responder in cyclone, tsunami & pollution related maritime disasters".
Promoting conservation of maritime environment, PM Modi said, "The fourth principle is that we have to preserve the maritime environment and maritime resources. As we know, the oceans have a direct impact on the climate. And therefore, we have to keep our maritime environment free from pollution like plastics and oil spills".
"The Fifth Principle is that we should encourage responsible maritime connectivity", he added.
"We should remove barriers to maritime trade. Our prosperity depends on the active flow of maritime trade & barriers in this path can pose a challenge to the entire global economy. Free maritime trade is associated with the culture of India for time immemorial", PM Modi said while promoting maritime trade.
