East Asia Summit: PM Modi to virtually attend the 16th edition
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 16th East Asia Summit (EAS) via videoconferencing on Wednesday.
The Summit is held annually in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania regions. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had represented India at the 15th EAS in 2020.
The MEA’s spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, tweeted, “India’s Act East Policy in action! PM Narendra Modi will attend the 16th East Asia Summit to be held today virtually.”
“As one of the founding members, India is committed to strengthening the EAS and making it more effective for dealing with contemporary challenges.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), world leaders will discuss contemporary regional and international matters of concern, including Covid-19 cooperation, terrorism, and maritime national security this year.
“Co-sponsored by India, the world leaders will adopt declarations on mental health, economic recovery through tourism, and green recovery,” the statement read.
Established in 2005, the EAS is a leader-led forum in the Indo-Pacific region that has played a strategic role in the geopolitical evolution of East Asia.
Chaired by the Prime Minister of Brunei, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the organization’s member nations include India, China, Japan, South Korea, United States of America, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand, along with ASEAN members Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
(Avya Mathur)
