“Laos PM said his country supported India as a permanent member of a reformed and expanded UNSC”, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup informed the media after a bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sisoulith on Thursday morning.
Advertisement
“Export of terror, growing radicalisation and spread of extreme violence are common security threats to our societies”, he said in his second attack on Pakistan in two days amid escalating war of words between New Delhi and Islamabad. The threat is local, regional and transitional at the same time.
According to a Japanese government official attending the meeting, Abe mentioned the statue in his request for Park’s cooperation on the implementation of the deal reached in December, which saw Japan deposit 1 billion yen (HK$76.4 million) last week in a fund for the former “comfort women”.
He said Asean was central to India’s Act East Policy while describing the ties with southeast Asia as a “source of harmony”. “Our engagement with ASEAN is driven by common priorities, bringing peace, stability and prosperity to the region”.
Prime Minister Modi reiterated that enhancing connectivity in all its dimensions is at the heart of India’s strategic partnership with ASEAN.
Talking about the ASEAN-India plan of action for the period 2016 to 2020, he said that it has served India well in fulfilling its objectives.
“Enhancing connectivity in its entire dimension physical, digital, economic, institutional and cultural is at the heart of India’s strategic partnership with ASEAN and readiness to link our economic success and share development experiences with ASEAN nations”, he added.
Securing seas was a shared responsibility, he said, adding that sea lanes are “life lines of global trade”.
India has called for all parties concerned to respect the UN Convention for the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
Advertisement
The India-Asean Summit on Thursday will be attended by leaders of 10 southeast Asian nations – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.
