Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Association for South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the central pillar of India’s “Act East Policy.”
Addressing the 20th ASEAN-India Summit as co-chair in Jakarta, Indonesia, he said New Delhi supports ASEAN’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific. “While our partnership enters its fourth decade, ASEAN occupies a prominent place in India’s Indo-Pacific Initiative,” he said.
The 10-member ASEAN includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.
PM Modi said that ASEAN is the epicenter of growth as it plays a crucial role in global development. “There has been consistent progress in our mutual cooperation in spite of an atmosphere of global uncertainty,” he added.
“Our partnership has reached the fourth decade. It is an honor for me to co-chair this Summit. I want to congratulate Indonesian President Joko Widodo for organizing this Summit…”
President Widodo had invited PM Modi to attend the Summit.
PM Modi said, “The 21st century is Asia’s century. It is our century. For this, it is necessary to build a rule-based post-COVID world order and efforts by all for human welfare.”
“The progress of free and open Indo-Pacific and elevating the voice of the Global South is in the common interest of all,” he added.
It was the first Summit between the two sides since the elevation of their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year.
“Today, even in an environment of global uncertainties, there is continuous progress in every field in our mutual cooperation. This is a testament to the strength and resilience of our relationship,” he said.
ASEAN is viewed as among the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan, and Australia, are its dialogue partners.
PM Modi also announced the opening of India’s embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste.
“Act East in action – Delhi to Dili! At the ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta, PM @narendramodi announces decision to open our Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste,” said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, on X.
Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste, on the country’s north coast, is important as it recalls the nation’s struggles for independence from Portugal as well as Indonesia.
Upon reaching Jakarta Airport, PM Modi was received by an enthusiastic Indian Diaspora. He tweeted in Indonesian, “Landed in Jakarta. Looking forward to ASEAN-related meetings and working with various leaders for a better planet.”
His visit to Indonesia comes ahead of the G-20 Summit to be held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 under India’s presidency this year. Indonesia is part of the G-20 “troika” as it had the presidency of the grouping in 2022.
India was one of the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Timor Leste. A memorandum of understanding formally establishing diplomatic relations was signed between the two countries on January 24, 2023.
Later, addressing the 18th East Asia Summit in Jakarta on Thursday, PM Modi said India is focusing on challenges like climate change, cybersecurity, food security, health, and energy, which are particularly impacting the Global South, during its G-20 presidency.
“The present global landscape is surrounded by challenging circumstances and uncertainties. Terrorism, extremism, and geopolitical conflicts are big challenges for all of us. Multilateralism and rules-based international order are essential in countering them.”