Vientiane:Â Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a two-day visit to Laos, arriving on Thursday to engage in bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Lao PDR and other leaders. These meetings are set around two major summits scheduled for October 10-11 in Vientiane.
Upon his arrival in Vientiane, PM Modi met with members of the Indian diaspora at the Hotel Double Tree.
The year 2024 celebrates a decade of India’s Act East Policy, a period that has seen a significant deepening of ties, ranging from enhanced people-to-people connections to strengthened trade and investment, defence and security, and connectivity, including financial technology, heritage conservation, and capacity building. This year also commemorates key anniversaries of India’s diplomatic relations with several regional countries, including Brunei, the Philippines, and Singapore.
“Connectivity stands as a crucial aspect of our engagement with ASEAN. Around 20 per cent of the Indian diaspora globally resides in ASEAN countries. Currently, we have direct flights to seven ASEAN countries and anticipate flight connectivity with two additional ASEAN countries by year’s end. ASEAN ranks as one of India’s foremost trade and investment partners,” stated Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary East, MEA, on Wednesday.
India has consistently been a prompt response to disasters in the region, from the Indian Ocean Tsunami to Typhoon Yagi, providing vital aid to nations such as Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos. Furthermore, India is set to undertake cooperative initiatives with ASEAN partners in areas like capacity building, scholarships, and collaborative R&D.
Participants in the East Asia Summit include Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States, with Timor-Leste joining as an observer. At last year’s 20th ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta, Prime Minister Modi announced India’s intention to establish a Resident Mission in Dili, Timor-Leste.
