January 25, 2018
The 10 ASEAN nations include Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos PDR and Brunei
The leaders are in New Delhi to attend the the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, which is celebrating 25 years of India-ASEAN relations
The leaders, invited as part of the India’s “Act East” policy, will also attend the 69th Republic Day parade on January 26th as guests of honour
Under “Act East”, India is seeking stronger economic, diplomatic and cultural ties with the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region
President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, received the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) heads of State and Government at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 25th. The leaders of the 10 ASEAN nations, namely Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei, are in New Delhi to attend a summit celebrating 25 years of India-ASEAN relations as well as India’s 69th Republic Day parade on January 26th as guests of honour. The leaders have been invited as part of the India’s “Act East” policy, which is aimed at establishing stronger economic and diplomatic ties with the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region.
India has organised the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit with the theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny”. The 10 ASEAN Heads of State and Government visiting India are Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah of Brunei; President Joko Widodo of Indonesia; President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of Philippines; Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia; Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore; Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Md. Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia; Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand; State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar; Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam; and Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith of Lao PDR.
Speaking at the Rashtrapati Bhavan reception, President Kovind said that India-ASEAN relationship has come a long way since the establishment of a dialogue partnership in 1992. Today, ASEAN is a strategic partner for India with 30 ongoing dialogue mechanisms, including annual summits and seven ministerial meetings covering a wide range of sectors. The President said that India’s “Act East policy” reinforces the nation’s ancient links with Southeast Asia through enhanced political, security, economic and cultural ties. India’s ties with ASEAN, a proponent of peace, stability and prosperity in the region, has been strengthened by increasing interactions on culture, commerce and connectivity.