Vientiane (Laos): An important summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries is going on in Laos. Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is also participating in it. During this time, India has made a big statement regarding the Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific approach. Describing India’s priority to increase political, economic and security cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), S Jaishankar said on Friday that ASEAN is the cornerstone of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and Indo-Pacific approach.

Jaishankar is in the capital of Laos to participate in ASEAN meetings. Addressing the opening session of the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ meeting, he said that cooperation with ASEAN in political, economic and security areas is India’s top priority. Jaishankar said, “For India, ASEAN is the cornerstone of its ‘Act India’ policy and its Indo-Pacific vision.” He said, “Current political, economic and security cooperation and people-to-people contact with ASEAN is a top priority, which we are constantly trying to expand.”

India-ASEAN partnership achieving new heights
Jaishankar said that it is encouraging to see that the India-ASEAN partnership is achieving new dimensions with each passing day. The Ministry of External Affairs had said before Jaishankar’s visit that this visit is particularly important because this year marks the completion of a decade of India’s ‘Act East’ policy, which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Ninth East Asia Summit in 2014. The 10 member countries of ASEAN include Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.