External Affairs Minister Jaishankar stresses free navigation at East Asia Summit

At the East Asia Summit held on July 24, 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a strong statement on maritime security, asserting that international waterways must remain safe and free for navigation. His remarks came amid escalating tensions in the Red Sea, where Yemen's Houthi rebels have targeted shipping infrastructure, causing oil prices to exceed $100 per barrel. Jaishankar explicitly stated that attacks on seafarers, civilian shipping, and maritime infrastructure cannot be tolerated.

The statement reflects India's strategic interests in maintaining freedom of navigation through critical maritime chokepoints. The Red Sea and surrounding waters are vital for Indian trade, with significant portions of India's oil imports transiting through these routes. Houthi attacks, ostensibly related to the Gaza conflict, have created a new maritime security challenge affecting global commerce. India, as a major maritime trader and energy importer, has strong strategic incentives to ensure unimpeded shipping routes.

Jaishankar's address also implicitly challenged Pakistan, hitting back at Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar's comments on Kashmir at the ASEAN meet. India categorically rejected Dar's remarks as "baseless and unwarranted," reaffirming that Kashmir is an internal matter. The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a formal statement condemning Pakistan's intervention in India's domestic affairs. This exchange reflects the persistent India-Pakistan tensions over Kashmir despite international forums.

For exam aspirants, this touches critical foreign policy themes: maritime security doctrine, freedom of navigation principles, India's strategic interests in global trade routes, counter-terrorism in maritime domain, and India's diplomatic positioning in multilateral forums. Potential questions could address: UNCLOS provisions on maritime safety, India's stance on international water security, Quad coordination on Indo-Pacific security, or India-Pakistan diplomatic tensions in multilateral settings.