India places great value on ASEAN: VP Jagdeep Dhankhar

Phnom Penh, Nov 12: Emphasising on the importance of ASEAN, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that India places great value on ASEAN as an important pillar of regional, multilateral global order. He was speaking at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in Phnom Penh on Saturday.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations and was celebrated as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year.

Dhankhar, in his opening remarks, said, "India places great value on ASEAN as an important pillar of regional, multilateral global order," according to a released statement.

India and ASEAN share the common vision

On Indo-Pacific, the vice president said, "India supports ASEAN centrality in the evolving architecture in the Indo-Pacific. India and ASEAN share the common vision of ensuring peace, prosperity and stability in the region. As we look ahead, we see an uncertain geopolitical landscape which cannot be whisked away. To navigate it, we must expand our cooperation and deepen our strategic trust. Our comprehensive, strategic partnership should provide a path for this."

Central pillar of India's Act East policy

On India-ASEAN cooperation, Dhankhar said, "I look forward to working to further enhance India-ASEAN cooperation. It is the central pillar of India's Act East policy, which occurred in the era of reforms in India in the 1990s. The cultural, economic and civilizational ties that have existed between India and Southeast Asia since time immemorial, provided the strong foundation to build our partnership in modern times - from a sectoral partnership in 1992 to a comprehensive, strategic partnership in 2022."

The vice president also highlighted three decades of multifaceted, multidimensional growth in ASEAN-India engagements. He said, "From connectivity to climate change, security to space, education to ecology and technology to trade, showcase a desire to deepen our cooperation for a better and brighter future."

The vice president will participate in the 17th East Asia Summit on Sunday.