New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Laos for a two-day visit commencing October 10 for the India-ASEAN summit and 16th East Asia Summit, which marks 10 years of India's Act East Policy.
The visit is taking place at a time of mounting tensions in Myanmar and the South China Sea. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement, said, "India is marking a decade of the Act East Policy this year. Relations with ASEAN are a central pillar of the Act East Policy and our Indo-Pacific vision. The ASEAN-India Summit will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations through our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and chart the future direction of cooperation."
Secretary East in the MEA, Jaideep Mazumdar said, "Prime Minister Modi will be travelling to Vientiane in Lao PDR, for the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister of Lao PDR, Sonexay Siphandone".
"The visit will be over 10th and 11th October. We attach great significance to all ASEAN-related mechanisms. This will be the Prime Minister's tenth attendance at the ASEAN-India Summit. The significance of this particular summit will be that it is the tenth anniversary of the Prime Minister's Act East policy," said Mazumdar
India will also extend its support for the chair's theme which is 'Connectivity and Resilience'.
"We expect that before the end of the year, we will have direct flight connectivity with two more ASEAN countries. Moving on to the East Asia Summit, which encompasses 10 ASEAN countries and 8 partners, Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. Timor-Leste will also be a partner as an observer", said Secretary (East).
For the Laos trip, PM Modi's schedule is packed with summit-level talks, bilateral meetings, and cultural events. Upon arrival, he would be welcomed by senior Buddhist monks. During the two-day visit, PM Modi will engage with the Indian diaspora and will hold several bilateral meetings. He will also be participating in the special screening of Laos Ramayana.
A decade of India's Act East policy
His visit comes amid India's completion of 10 years of Act East Policy. During these years, India's engagement with ASEAN has seen significant momentum from stronger people to people connect to robust cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security, and connectivity including fin-tech, heritage conservation and capacity building.
2024 also marks important anniversaries of establishment of India’s diplomatic relations with several countries in the region - 75th with Indonesia, 75th with the Philippines, 60th with Singapore and 40th with Brunei.
In the first 100 days of his 3rd term, the Prime Minister received the Prime Ministers of Vietnam (30 July-01 Aug 2024) and Malaysia (19-21 Aug 2024) in New Delhi. The Prime Minister visited Brunei and Singapore and had fruitful discussions with the leadership (3-5 Sept 2024). Prime Minister's visit to Brunei was the first ever bilateral visit to the country by an Indian Prime Minister. The President of India also travelled to Timor-Leste for the first-ever Head of State visit from India (10 Aug 2024).
Each of these visits witnessed the signing and exchange of several MoUs/agreements and some significant announcements.
India-Malaysia and India-Singapore ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. India- Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was strengthened and India-Brunei ties were elevated to Enhanced Partnership. India and Singapore signed the MoU on Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership and agreed that advanced manufacturing, particularly in developing resilient semiconductor supply chains, could be a new pillar of bilateral cooperation.
India's Act East Policy, launched in 2014, is a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing India's relations with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. It builds on the earlier "Look East" policy and emphasises strengthening trade and investment ties with ASEAN nations and other regional partners.
Enhancing defence and security collaborations, including maritime security in the Indian Ocean, also remains an integral part of the Act East policy.
