Participants at the summit (Photo: VNA)Singapore(VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc joined leaders of other ASEAN countriesand India at the ASEAN-India Informal Breakfast Summit in Singapore on November15 within the framework of the ongoing 33rd ASEAN Summit.
The leaders laudedpositive progress in the ASEAN-India relations since the ASEAN-IndiaCommemorative Summit to mark 25 years of the bilateral ties in January 2018,while reaffirming determination to foster the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnershipfor peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
ASEAN leaders hailedIndia’s support to the association’s central role and efforts for regionalconnectivity and the building of the ASEAN Community.
The two sides agreedto continue bolstering their comprehensive partnership, especially in areas of mutualbenefit such as economic, trade and investment; finalising negotiations for aRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); promoting connectivity andsustainable development, narrowing development gaps, and boosting digital growth.
They will worktogether in optimising opportunities from the Fourth Industrial Revolution,strengthening maritime cooperation, aviation connectivity and people-to-people exchangeand collaboration in education and tourism.
Indian PM NarendraModi hailed the role of ASEAN in the region, recognised important achievementsin the ASEAN-India relations over the past years when Vietnam was thecoordinator of the relationship for the 2015-18 term, and welcomed Thailand to assumethe role in the next three years.
The Indian leader affirmedto continue strengthening the “Act East” policy, while sharing India’sstandpoint on strengthening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, andhighlighting the respect for fundamental principles and the central role of ASEANin the regional architecture.
Modi announced theprovision of 1 billion USD for activities on connecting infrastructure andboosting digital cooperation as well as for the continued implementation of thedigital collaboration project with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
India will also grant 1,000scholarships to ASEAN countries, form a network of ASEAN-India universities andorganise a conference on renewable energy in India in the coming time, he said.
Vietnamese PM NguyenXuan Phuc thanked India for cooperating with Vietnam to help the countrycomplete its role as coordinator of the ASEAN-India relations in the 2015-2018period.
He voiced his supportto ASEAN and India in strengthening maritime affiliation, including blueeconomy and ensuring maritime security, trade and investment cooperation andconnectivity, with the construction of an expressway linking India and Mekongcountries as well as other projects in the region.
PM Phuc affirmed theimportance of maintaining a peaceful environment, stability, security andsafety of navigation and aviation to all countries, especially coastal states.He lauded India’s support to ASEAN’s principles and stance in the field in linewith international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.-VNA
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