ASEAN has been core target of India's Act East Policy, PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that ASEAN has been the core target of India's Act East Policy. Addressing the 17th ASEAN-India Summit on Thursday  evening, Modi stressed that India believes that a cohesive and responsive ASEAN is important for security and growth for all. He said, India and ASEAN's partnership is interrelated by traditions and geography.The Prime Minister said, enhancing connectivity on all fronts between India and ASEAN, be it physical, economic, social, digital, financial, maritime - is a major priority for India.  He added that India and ASEAN have come closer in all these areas in the last few years.Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc co-chaired the meet.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of the most significant groups in the region. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia are its members. India, the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners. “The leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen ASEAN-India engagement and in this context will note the adoption of ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025). Covid-19, post-pandemic economic recovery and important regional and international developments will also be discussed at the summit,” the MEA had said in a statement.