Moscow Conference on International Security

Defence minister Rajnath Singh said that the potential geopolitical fault line in the maritime domain in East Asia could be graver than what is currently being witnessed. He was virtually addressing the Moscow Conference on International Security.

About the ‘Moscow Conference on International Security’ –

• MCIS, held annually since 2012, is an important security dialogue.
• It acts a platform for an open dialogue of defence agencies, international organisations and military experts.
• This year, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation organised the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security.
• This year’s Conference program included the most current problems of global and regional security.

Key highlights of the speech –

• India is committed to a free, open, secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific region that promotes sustainable maritime trade and economic practices, resilient infrastructure and adherence to global legal order. This was said against the backdrop of the ongoing heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait with China flexing its muscles.
• Abiding by the UN charter and principles of international law is important —
  • Global security in the framework of multilateralism requires abiding by the UN charter and principles of international law.
  • This acts as a bulwark against anarchy, instability and higher chances of conflict.
• Stressed upon the need for UN reform —
  • He said the UN may progressively lose its effectiveness without democratisation in its decision-making.
  • He highlighted that India represents one-sixth of humanity and has relentlessly contributed to global security under the UN charter.
  • In this context, he expressed regret that India does not have a fair share in the decision-making structure of the UNSC on a permanent basis.