ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit Highlights: India-ASEAN Ties To Focus On Freedom Of Navigation, Says PM Modi

New Delhi: 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: