PM leaves for Lao PDR to attend ASEAN and East Asia Summits

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for Lao PDR to attend the 14th ASEAN-India Summit and the 11th East Asia Summit to be held in the capital Vientiane. Ahead of departure for the Summits, the Prime Minister said ASEAN was a key partner in India’s Act East Policy, which was vital for the economic development of its Northeastern region. ‘’Our strategic partnership with ASEAN is also important for safeguarding and promoting our security interests and countering traditional and non-traditional security challenges in the region. East Asia Summit is the premier forum for discussions on the challenges and opportunities before the Asia Pacific region.

Our ties with the countries of South East Asia are truly historic,’’ he said. The Prime Minister said India’s engagement and the approach could best be encapsulated in just one word - connectivity. ‘’We wish to enhance our physical and digital connectivity; to see greater people to people links; to strengthen our institutional linkages; and, to leverage the modern interconnected world for the mutual benefit of all our people,’’ he said. The summits will be attended by Heads of State/Government of the 10 ASEAN and 18 East Asia Summit participating countries respectively.

On the margins, the Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with several leaders, officials in the External Affairs Ministry said. India's engagement with the ASEAN and wider Asia-Pacific region has acquired further momentum following the enunciation of the ‘Act-East Policy’ by the Prime Minister at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit and ninth East Asia Summit in Myanmar in November, 2014. At the 14th ASEAN-India summit, Mr Modi and ASEAN leaders will review ASEAN-India cooperation and discuss its future direction under each of the three pillars of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation, said the officials.

They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. The Prime Minister is expected to announce a number of commemorative activities to mark India's dialogue partnership with ASEAN, which is completing 25 years in 2017. During the summits, Mr Modi is expected to make India's stand clear of the South China Sea. India had been strongly advocating the right to free navigation in international waters and an amicable solution to the dispute through peaceful means. The Summit is having participation of all parties embroiled in the South China Sea controversy. (UNI)