India dealt with ‘worst crisis in decades’ at LAC with firmness, maturity: Foreign Secretary

Despite facing the challenges of coronavirus pandemic, India dealt with the “worst crisis in decades” along its border at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China with “firmness and maturity”, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said in France.

Shringla emphasised on “respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty”, and “peaceful resolution of disputes”.

“Despite the pandemic, we have dealt with the worst crisis in decades on our border with China and we have done so with firmness and maturity. At the same time, we have continued to ward off terrorism from across our western border,” Shringla said in his address at the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) in Paris.

Related News: ‘Boundary question is bilateral matter’, says China

“Our immediate challenges have not distracted us from broader strategic goals, especially in the Indo-Pacific Region, where we are moving purposefully at multiple levels to create an open, inclusive architecture. India is emerging at the centre of a network of initiatives,” he added.

“We remain committed to upholding the rules-based international order, underpinned by the rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in the international seas, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and peaceful resolution of disputes,” Shringla, who is on a week-long tour of France, Germany and the UK, said.

Also, Shringla mentioned two recent terrorist incidents in France, one of which he said had its origins in Pakistan, noting that the civilised world needs to act with firmness to address the threat of terrorism.

Related News: US welcomes India’s involvement against China’s ‘aggressive behaviour’

“It was horrifying to hear about the two recent terrorist incidents in France, one of which, as is very often the case, had its origins in our western neighbourhood – Pakistan,” he said.

“For the past three decades, we have experienced what unbridled radicalism can wreak and what malevolent violent forces it can unleash. The civilised world needs to act together and act with firmness to address this threat to our cherished democratic value systems,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)