ASEAN cornerstone of India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision: EAM Jaishankar

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the cornerstone of India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday, as he sought to expand political, economic and security cooperation with the bloc.

Jaishankar is in the Laotian capital to participate in the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In his remarks at the opening session of the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting, Jaishankar said that the current political, economic, and security cooperation with ASEAN is India's top priority.

"For India, ASEAN is the cornerstone of its Act India Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision that was thereafter built on it," he said.

"The current political, economic and security cooperation with ASEAN is of the utmost priority so is the people-to-people linkages, that we are constantly seeking to expand," he said.

It is encouraging to note that the India-ASEAN partnership acquires ever more dimensions with each passing day, he said.

Jaishankar’s visit to Laos is of particular significance that this year marks a decade of India's Act East Policy, which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 9th East Asia Summit in 2014, the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi ahead of his visit.

The 'Act East Policy' is a diplomatic initiative to promote economic, strategic and cultural relations with the vast Asia-Pacific region at different levels.

India envisages a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, one which is built on a rules-based international order.

The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Earlier on Friday, Jaishankar met his counterpart from New Zealand, Winston Peters and discussed education, agriculture technology, the Pacific Islands and cricket.