India, ASEAN hold 24th senior officials' meeting in Delhi
New Delhi, June 15: The 24th ASEAN-India senior officials meeting was hosted in New Delhi on Wednesday. The SOM was co-chaired by Secretary (East), Saurabh Kumar with Permanent Secretary of Singapore Albert Chua at the national capital, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed.
This comes ahead of a special India-ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting, which is scheduled to be held on June 16 and 17. Senior officials from the other ASEAN Member States participated in the meeting, the MEA in a statement on Wednesday.
The SOM reviewed the strategic partnership between ASEAN and India, as well as its future prospects. As India and ASEAN mark the 30th anniversary of their Dialogue Relations, the leaders of the SOM assessed progress in cooperation across all three pillars of the Partnership: political-security, economic, and socio-cultural relations.
The meeting also reviewed the next steps in the ASEAN-India Plan of Action's implementation (2021-2025). The two sides also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, including the Covid-19 pandemic and recovery after the outbreak.
As the Country Coordinator, Secretary (East) praised Singapore's positive contributions and sustained support in boosting ASEAN-India relations.
Also Read | UAE to suspend exports of Indian wheat for four months: Reports
He further stressed the implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) to deepen the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership, highlighting the importance of ASEAN in India's Indo-Pacific vision.
India's support for ASEAN and ASEAN-led architecture in the region was lauded by the ASEAN side.
The two sides also discussed the activities planned to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-India Partnership by designating 2022 as ASEAN-India Friendship Year.
As the ASEAN-India partnership enters its fourth decade, the two countries' deep historical and cultural ties continue to provide a solid foundation.
Vivian Balakrishnan and Bui Thanh Son, the foreign ministers of Singapore and Vietnam, respectively, arrived in Delhi on Wednesday for a special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting (SAIFMM).
The ASEAN-India dialogue relationship began in 1992 with the formation of a sectoral partnership, which progressed to a comprehensive dialogue partnership in December 1995, a Summit level partnership in 2002, and a strategic partnership in 2012.
Also Read | Candidate for Presidential polls cannot be elected without Congress: Mallikarjun Kharge
-PTC News