India warns of weaponised global order, calls for regional cohesion

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar  has said the global order is undergoing a period of profound transition and Indian Ocean nations must plan for stormy days. Addressing the 9th Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius on Friday, the Minister said that the world may be more fragmented, but Indian Ocean nations must seek to be more cohesive. He stressed that chokepoints are now a great global anxiety, and overcoming the controlled mindset is essential for the well-being of the international economy.   
Dr Jaishankar expressed concern over the situation in West Asia, calling for an early return to normalcy. He firmly opposed the targeting of civilians, infrastructure and commercial shipping. He said it is essential that navigation remains safe and unimpeded.  The External Affairs Minister said global trends are a reality that cannot be ignored. He said the world is more competitive, fractured, and inward-looking than in the past. The benefits of globalisation are today overshadowed by the temptation to leverage and the temptation to weaponize. As a result, the world is in a quest for greater resilience and is seeking trusted partners. 
 Dr Jaishankar called for collective resilience in the Indian Ocean nations. He said that in the last decades, the focus was on overcoming the artificial barriers of the colonial era. He added that this meant deeper regional cooperation, stronger economic linkages, rebuilding of connectivity and revival of traditions.