Indonesian President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana Widodo walk to their limousine upon their arrival in Vientiane, Laos to attend the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits and other related summits Monday, Sept. 5, 2016 in Vientiane, Laos.
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This is the third time I am attending these summits.
“Asean is a key partner for our Act East Policy, which is vital for the economic development of our Northeastern region”, Modi said in a pre-departure statement posted on his Facebook page.
President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to further solidify robust ties with South Korea through a concrete vision for bilateral cooperation. The five-year work plan, an integral part of the ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together, aims to narrow the development gap, enhance the region’s competitiveness and support the implementation of the three Community Blueprints which ASEAN leaders adopted in November last year.
Later in the day, Mr Lee will attend the opening ceremony of the Asean Summit at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane, followed by the plenary session of the Summit.
He also said that India’s strategic partnership with ASEAN was important for safeguarding and promoting security interests and countering traditional and non-traditional security challenges in the region. India and ASEAN have 30 dialogue mechanisms which meet regularly, including a Summit and seven Ministerial meetings in Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Tourism, Agriculture, Environment, Renewable Energy and Telecommunications. “The Asean leaders will also exchange views on regional and worldwide issues”, he added.
The Chinese premier also said Beijing always regards ASEAN as a priority for regional diplomacy, noting that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN relations.
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“At the ASEAN summit, Seoul will seek to reinforce cooperation with the ASEAN Community and at the ASEAN-plus-three summit – the 10 ASEAN member countries, plus the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China will review their achievements over the past year and discuss future cooperation”.
