COLOMBO (News 1st); Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that as the region gains prominence many countries getting active in the Indian Ocean trying to expand their influence.

He was responding to a question on the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship ‘Yuan Wang 5,’ that was granted access to the Hambantota Port.

However, he said that the Indian Ocean will not become another flash point between India and China.

The External Affairs Minister said that India needs to take care of its national interests but can’t claim exclusivity in the region.

He said that India’s neighbors are culturally comfortable and economically bound.

The External Affairs Minister said that India is the only neighbor to have helped Sri Lanka in the ongoing economic crisis to step forward to deal with the IMF. 

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