PM Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with heads of states of ASEAN countries in Delhi today
Leaders of the ten ASEAN countries, comprising Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei, are in India for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit being held in New Delhi. The two-day summit, which began yesterday, will be followed by the grand Republic Day parade and celebrations where the ten visiting heads of states will be present as the chief guests. The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit will mark 25 years of India's ties with the southeast Asian bloc. ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The summit comes at a time when India is making a strategic shift in its regional policy, enhancing its previous 'Look East' policy to the new 'Act East' policy. Days before the arrival of the ten heads of states, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said, "The prime minister's intention that the 'Look East' policy should now be the 'Act East' policy is really taking shape." On day two of the summit today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of the Southeast Asian countries. The focus of the meetings will be on key areas of counter-terrorism, security and connectivity. The highest-level of participation at the summit, to mark the 25 years of Indo-ASEAN ties, comes in the backdrop of China's expansionist tactics and a continuously increasing Chinese economic and military assertiveness in the region. Experts believe that the meet can be an opportunity for India to present itself as a powerful ally to these countries in the strategic areas of trade and connectivity. There will also be a leaders' retreat today, during which all ten heads of states will have a "free and frank" discussion with Prime Minister Modi. The theme of the retreat session is 'Maritime Cooperation and Security'. The retreat will be followed by a plenary session.
Here are highlights of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and PM Narendra Modi's bilateral talks with ASEAN leaders today:
- To build our historical bonds, I propose to declare 2019 as the year to promote tourism
- It was a privileged for India to play a role in conversations of temples in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam
"Our trade has grown 25 times in 25 years"- Our trade has grown 25 times in 25 years. Investments are robust and growing
- WE will continue to work with ASEAN to enhance our trade ties. The success of recent events, the ASEAN India business meetings have shown encouraging results
- We will further enhance trade ties and work towards greater interaction among our business communities
Our friendship has been nurtured by our culture, our civilisation" PM Modi- Its a privilege for India to host all ASEAN leaders for the second time
- Tomorrow you are our honored guests at our republic day celebration
- Our friendship has been nurtured by our culture, our civilisation. We have organised our Ramayana festival with members of ASEAN countries to showcase our common cultural treasure
- Since 1992, our partnership has evolved to strategic partnership
- During the retreat session, maritime domain was a key focus area. Indeed, maritime cooperation has been an integral part of our discourse with the theme resonating in the ASEAN-India connectivity summit
- India shares the ASEAN vision for rule based societies and values of peace
- We are committed to work with ASEAN nations to enhance collaboration in the maritime domain
PM addresses plenary session
In a series of bilateral meetings, PM Modi today met heads of state of
Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, among other countries, to mark the 25th year of the ASEAN-India partnership. The heads of state have also been invited at Rashtrapati Bhavan for a luncheon.
Even yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with ASEAN leaders, including Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. After the meeting between PM Modi and the Myanmarese leader, External affairs ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "The two leaders had a productive discussion on intensifying bilateral cooperation, including follow up on key decisions taken during PM's visit to Myanmar in September 2017."
Wednesday's meeting came nearly a month after India and Myanmar inked an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development of the Rakhine state, from where thousands of Rohingya Muslims recently fled following incidents of violence against the community. Signed during Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's visit to Myanmar, the pact was the first government-to-government agreement by Myanmar with a cooperation partner focused on socio-economic development and livelihood initiatives in the Rakhine state.
Despite having a free trade agreement in services and investments, ASEAN-India trade for the year 2016-17 was only $71 billion, in comparison to the $470 billion trade with China.
Trade will be a major focus area at the bilateral meetings and so will greater infrastructural connectivity, regional development in the northeastern states and regional security.
Experts believe that the meet can be an opportunity for India to present itself as a powerful ally to these countries in the strategic areas of trade and connectivity. There will also be a leaders' retreat today, during which all ten heads of states will have a "free and frank" discussion with Prime Minister Modi. The theme of the retreat session is 'Maritime Cooperation and Security'. The retreat will be followed by a plenary session.
On day two of the summit today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of the Southeast Asian countries. The focus of the meetings will be on key areas of counter-terrorism, security and connectivity. The highest-level of participation at the summit, to mark the 25 years of Indo-ASEAN ties, comes in the backdrop of China's expansionist tactics and a continuously increasing Chinese economic and military assertiveness in the region.
Days before the arrival of the ten heads of states, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said, "The prime minister's intention that the 'Look East' policy should now be the 'Act East' policy is really taking shape."
(File Photo: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman) The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit will mark 25 years of India's ties with the southeast Asian bloc. ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The summit comes at a time when India is making a strategic shift in its regional policy, enhancing its previous 'Look East' policy to the new 'Act East' policy.
Leaders of the ten ASEAN countries, comprising Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei, are in India for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit being held in New Delhi. The two-day summit, which began yesterday, will be followed by the grand Republic Day parade and celebrations where the ten visiting heads of states will be present as the chief guests.