Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sought efforts to create a "win-win situation for all"

A free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific was important for the world's economic development, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday as he sought efforts to create a "win-win situation for all"

Delivering the keynote address at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) in New Delhi on Friday, Singh highlighted India's multi-aligned policy. He also exhorted the international community to consider security as a truly collective enterprise in order to create a global order which is beneficial to all.

“National security should not be considered as a zero-sum game. We should strive to create a win-win situation for all," he emphasized.

According to the Defence Minister, "We should be guided by enlightened self-interest which is sustainable and resilient to shocks. Strong and prosperous India would not be built at the cost of others, rather, we are here to help other nations realise their full potential.”

He pointed out that India stands for a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific as it is important for the economic development of not only the region but also the wider global community.

During his address, Singh explained that the global community has been working through multiple platforms and agencies, the foremost among them being the UN Security Council. But now, he added, there is a need to elevate the paradigm of collective security to a level of shared interests and security for all.

Defence Minister Singh also highlighted that India does not believe in a world order where few are considered superior to others and emphasised that the conduct of strategic policy should be "moral".

He reiterated India’s belief in a multi-aligned policy realised through diverse engagements with multiple stakeholders, stressing that addressing the concerns of all is the only way which can lead to shared responsibility and prosperity.

Singh also emphasised that dialogue is the only civilised mechanism for resolving disputes & disagreements and creating regional or global order. He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolute message during the G-20 summit in Bali recently that “the era of war is over”.

This was echoed by the world leaders, with the G-20 communique mentioning that ‘now is not the time for war’.

The IPRD is an annual apex-level international outreach of the Indian Navy that seeks to foster exchange of ideas and promote deliberations on maritime issues relevant to the Indo-Pacific.

For India, the Indo-Pacific stretches over a vast, predominantly maritime expanse from the eastern shore of Africa to the western shore of the Americas, the Ministry of Defence pointed out.