External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Thursday afternoon to participate in the ASEAN framework’s Foreign Ministers’ Meetings, including ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit (EAS), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), scheduled from July 25-27.
Jaishankar announced his arrival on X, stating, “Arrived in Vientiane, Laos to take part in the ASEAN-mechanism meetings. Look forward to further deepening India’s ties with ASEAN as we mark a decade of Act East Policy.”
Following his visit to Vientiane, the EAM will head to Tokyo for the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting on July 29, joining his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the United States.
The 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane is being attended by over 1000 delegates, including foreign ministers and representatives from 31 countries.
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ASEAN nations are a cornerstone of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and a crucial partner in its Indo-Pacific Vision, as emphasized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.
Laos, as the 2024 ASEAN Chair, is hosting 25 ministerial meetings under the theme ‘ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience’ from July 22 to 27.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted that this visit underscores India’s deep engagement with ASEAN, the importance India places on the ASEAN-centred regional architecture, and its strong commitment to ASEAN unity, centrality, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), as well as advancing the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The MEA also noted the significance of this year marking a decade of India’s Act East Policy, announced by the Prime Minister at the 9th East Asia Summit in 2014.
In Vientiane, EAM Jaishankar will hold bilateral meetings with Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Laos, and other counterparts on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related meetings.
Prominent attendees in Vientiane include US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and foreign ministers from several other countries.