Vientiane (Laos). External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has arrived in Vientiane, Laos to attend the crucial ASEAN summit aimed at strengthening India's ties with the Southeast Asian nation. Jaishankar expressed hope about furthering India's engagement with ASEAN countries.

In a post on social media platform 'X', External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said, "Arrived in Vientiane to attend ASEAN meetings. Looking forward to further deepening of India's ties with ASEAN as we mark a decade of Act East Policy."

Foreign Minister arrived in Vientiane on a three-day visit

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed in a press release earlier that Jaishankar will be in Vientiane, Lao PDR from July 25 to 27 where he will attend Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in the format of ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) under the ASEAN framework.

Foreign ministers can hold bilateral meetings with counterparts

The MEA also said that it is particularly significant that this year marks the completion of a decade of India's Act East Policy, which was announced by the Prime Minister at the 9th East Asia Summit in 2014. The External Affairs Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries in Vientiane, Lao PDR on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related meetings.

ASEAN is a political and economic union of 10 countries in Southeast Asia. As ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) grows in strength, India also remains an important partner for the economic union. Speaking to ANI in Vientiane, capital of Laos earlier this month, Chatoulong Bouasisavath, Director General of ASEAN Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), said that India is an important partner of ASEAN.

Following the announcement of the real-time payment linkage system between India and Singapore, India announced that it is working with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries to implement it for more countries in the region.

India is celebrating 'Act East'

This year India celebrates a decade of its 'Act East' policy, with ASEAN remaining the central pillar of the policy. India reiterated its full support for ASEAN centrality, the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and the priorities of Lao PDR's ASEAN Chairmanship and the deliverables under its theme 'ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience'.

In September last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Indonesia to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS). This was the first summit after the relationship between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.