External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on a week-long visit to Indonesia and Thailand beginning on Wednesday to attend a meeting of foreign ministers, as per the Ministry of External Affairs.
On Wednesday, S Jaishankar said in a Tweet that he has started his engagements in Indonesia with a meeting with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn. Jaishankar added he discussed the development of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
He further added that he suggested India- ASEAN dialogues in finance, cyber and maritime domains. He also noted the ongoing work in energy, disaster management, and health and wellness.
ASEAN’s relationship paved the way for the Indo-Pacific Vision. India is therefore deeply committed to the principle of ASEAN centrality, the External Affairs Minister added.
S Jaishankar has reached Indonesia’s Jakarta to attend the Foreign Minister’s meetings under the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) scheduled on Thursday and Friday. He will also go to Bangkok, Thailand for the 12th Foreign Minister’s meeting of Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC), as per the press release by the ministry.
During the visit, the EAM will meet his counterparts under the ASEAN framework in the format ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Forum on July 13 in Jakarta. He will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries, the statement said.
India’s engagement with the ASEAN-centered regional architecture signifies India’s strong commitment to ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific, the statement added.
After meetings in Jakarta, Jaishankar will visit Bangkok to take part in the 12th Foreign Minister’s meeting of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism on July 16. MGC has been termed one of the oldest mechanisms of the lower Mekong region, guided by India’s Act East Policy.
In Bangkok, Jaishankar will also attend the BIMSTEC Foreign Minister’s retreat on July 17. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), an economic and technical initiative that has brought together the countries of the Bay of Bengal for multifaceted cooperation. The retreat would discuss ways to further deepen the BIMSTEC agenda and strengthen the organization.
For More News Read @Bharat18
